I have discussions with a lot of startup founders. A lot. One growth channel that consistently gets overlooked, even though it often delivers the highest quality customers and the strongest long-term value: building strategic partnerships with market authorities… from day one.

I'm not talking about setting up an affiliate programme and hoping people sign up. I'm not even talking about traditional influencer marketing where you pay for a post and cross your fingers. I'm talking about something much more valuable and much more sustainable, building genuine relationships with people who already have the trust of your ideal customers. Good old fashion ‘what-if’ conversations.

I was on stage talking about this way back in 2001. It’s how I helped build my first ecommerce brand. It’s what I continually help my clients to build upon. Partnerships.

Most DTC brands approach partnerships backwards. They build an affiliate system, create some marketing materials and then ‘Hey! Why doesn’t anybody care?!’. The problem isn't the commission structure or the tracking links, it's that they're trying to get people to represent their brand instead of connecting with people who already represent the same values their brand was built around.

Market authorities, whether they're established influencers, industry experts, or community leaders, didn't build their followings to become walking billboards. They built them by consistently sharing valuable insights, authentic experiences and genuine recommendations around topics they care about.

When you approach them asking them to represent your brand, you're asking them to risk their reputation for your benefit. When you approach them by connecting with the reason your brand exists, you're offering to help them serve their audience better.

Here's what I've learned from far too many years of building these relationships: influencers and market authorities love working with people, not brands. They want to collaborate with founders who share their passion for solving real problems. They want to partner with businesses that make their own work more impactful. They crave something different.

The key is understanding that these authorities became authorities by caring deeply about something. A fitness influencer didn't build their platform to sell supplements, they built it because they're passionate about helping people get healthier. A productivity expert didn't grow their audience to hawk software, they did it because they believe everyone deserves systems that work. And, yes, they take that passion to profit.

When you can connect your brand's mission with their existing passion, partnerships become natural instead of transactional.

I’m not going all Simon Sinek on you here… but this is where most startup founders go wrong in their outreach. They lead with product features, pricing advantages, or commission structures. They're representing what their brand sells instead of why their brand exists.

But you know what? market authorities already have dozens of people pitching them products every week. What they don't have enough of are authentic connections with people who share their mission.

Instead of saying "We make the best pillow for people with back problems" try "We started this company because I couldn’t find a product that helped me sleep better with my constant back ache." Instead of "Our skincare line uses premium ingredients," try "We're obsessed with helping people feel confident in their own skin without compromising their health."

When you represent your why instead of your what, you're not asking someone to promote your product, you're inviting them to be part of your mission.

The partnerships that really move the needle aren't one-off collaborations. They're ongoing relationships built on mutual value creation. These authorities become genuine advocates because they see how your work amplifies their own impact.

This means thinking beyond single campaigns or product launches. It means understanding what these authorities are trying to accomplish in the long term and finding ways to support that vision consistently over time.

I’ve worked on this partnerships that lead to co-branded product lines that make folks rich.

Maybe providing exclusive insights from your customer data that helps them create better content? Maybe it's involving them in product development so they can share the journey with their audience. Maybe it's simply being a reliable resource they can recommend when their community asks for solutions in your category?

The goal is to become so valuable to their mission that promoting your brand becomes natural, not forced.

None of this works without a great product offering at the core. Market authorities stake their reputations on their recommendations. They won't risk that for any relationship, no matter how genuine.

What many startups miss: "great product offering" doesn't just mean great product. It means great experience for their audience. It means customer service that reflects their values. It means packaging and presentation that they're proud to share. It means results that make them look good for the recommendation.

When authorities know that partnering with you will enhance their reputation rather than risk it, they become exponentially more interested in building something long-term.

This approach requires patience and genuine interest in the people you want to partner with. You can't fake authentic relationships, and you can't rush them.

Start by engaging with their content meaningfully. Share insights that add value to their conversations. Introduce them to other people in your network who might be valuable connections. Support their work before you ever mention yours.

When you do eventually introduce your brand, frame it as another tool in service of the shared mission, not as the main attraction. "I thought you might find this interesting given your work on X" is much more powerful than "Would you like to partner with us?"

What makes this channel so valuable for startups is how it compounds over time. Every genuine relationship you build increases your network effect. Market authorities talk to each other. They share recommendations. They introduce people they trust to other people they trust.

One strong partnership often leads to three more. One authentic advocate opens doors to communities you never could have accessed through cold outreach. One market authority who genuinely believes in your mission becomes a growth multiplier that keeps paying dividends.

While the relationships need to be genuine, the process of building them can be systematic. Identify the authorities who are already talking about the problems you solve. Study their content to understand what they really care about. Look for authentic connection points between their mission and yours.

Then engage consistently and authentically over time. Provide value before asking for anything. Build the relationship before introducing the partnership opportunity.

The startups that master this channel don't just get better customers – they build networks of advocates who become part of their growth engine for years to come. They turn market authorities into genuine partners in their mission, not just promotional channels for their products.

And that's when partnerships stop being just another marketing tactic and start being a core driver of sustainable growth.

I’m working on building out a new newsletter exclusively focused on making partnerships your number one growth channel. Drop me a line if you think this is something you can benefit from.

On the topic of affiliate marketing for startups you’ll want to know what’s a cost-effective platform that you can build on in the early days and that will scale with you?

Go take a look at UpPromote. They’re not one of the big voices in affiliate marketing, but a roster of good brands and a really effective platform for affiliate management, make them one of my top recommendations.

Starting from $30/month it’s a platform you can scale upon.