Turning Partner Marketing Into a Growth Engine

Partner marketing doesn’t always get the spotlight—but for Ryan Shonts, Partner Marketing Leader at Wiz, it’s where real growth happens.

In this episode of Get Real, hosts Cari Baldwin and Dana Harder dig into the complexities (and opportunities) of partner marketing with Ryan, whose career has spanned MongoDB, hyperscalers like AWS and Microsoft, and now Wiz—the world’s fastest-growing cloud security company.

They break down what it takes to turn channel partnerships into revenue engines, how to navigate endless acronyms (CSPs, ISVs, GSIs, oh my), and why content can’t just be a logo-slap exercise if you want campaigns that actually deliver pipeline.

But it’s not all business—Ryan also shares his growing vinyl collection, his guilty-pleasure cocktail recipes, and what Wiz really means when they say the culture is “magical.”

What You’ll Learn:

• How Ryan fell into partner marketing and why it touches every part of go-to-market strategy
• The unique challenges of scaling partnerships at a hypergrowth company like Wiz
• Why tri-partner campaigns and co-branded content are unlocking serious pipeline
  How to shift from reactive, quarter-by-quarter campaigns to long-term, strategic planning
• The role marketplaces play in reducing friction—and where they add new complexity
  Why authentic relationships (and being yourself) matter more than any KPI

Rapid-fire realness includes Ryan’s take on cloud security misconceptions, the underrated skill every partner marketer needs, and why margaritas are better when you keep them simple.

If you’ve ever wondered how to make partner marketing less of a “bolt-on” and more of a business driver—or you just want to virtually cheers about a good mezcal margarita—this episode is for you.