Joint Value Proposition (JVP) Hypothesis Template
Purpose: Required template for all new partner additions to qualify against IPP framework
Requirement: All new partners must complete this before being added to tracker
Last Updated: January 2025
🎯 Purpose
This template ensures:
- Partners are qualified against our Ideal Partner Profile (IPP) framework
- Joint value proposition is clearly defined before engagement
- Revenue path and economics are explicit
- Partnership aligns with Brainforge’s partnership strategy
If a partner cannot complete this template satisfactorily, they are not a strategic fit.
📋 Pre-Conversation Preparation
Before the partner conversation, review:
- Partner Qualification Questions - Answer 2-3 questions from each section about Brainforge
- Prepare to flip remaining questions to partner to qualify them
During the conversation:
- Lead with our answers (establish credibility and value)
- Flip questions to partner (qualify them against IPP framework)
- Take notes on partner’s answers
- Use answers to complete this JVP template after conversation
📋 Template Sections
Section 1: Partner Identification
Partner Company Name: [Name]
Partner Type: [Tech Vendor, Agency, Affiliate, Recruiting, Platform, Advisor]
Partner Archetype: [Demand Creator, Deal Accelerator, Capability Completer, Channel Multiplier]
Date: [YYYY-MM-DD]
Completed By: [Name]
Section 2: ICP Alignment
Question: Does this partner’s customers/audience match Brainforge’s ICP?
Brainforge ICP:
- Startups: 30M ARR/GMV, post-Series A, no mature data team
- Scale Ups: 100M ARR/GMV, scaling teams/channels/products
- Enterprise: $100M+ ARR/GMV, mature but needs optimization
- Industries: Logistics, Manufacturing, Retail, E-commerce, SaaS, Professional Services
- Buyers: Operator-level leaders who believe in data/AI
Partner’s Customers/Audience:
- Describe partner’s customer profile
- Revenue range: [Range]
- Industries served: [List]
- Buyer personas: [Describe]
- Geographic focus: [Regions]
ICP Alignment Score (0-10):
- Score: [0-10]
- Rationale: [Why this score?]
Must-Have Check:
- Partner’s customers match Brainforge ICP (Startups, Scale Ups, or Enterprise)
- Partner serves relevant industries (Logistics, Manufacturing, Retail, E-commerce, SaaS, Professional Services)
- Partner’s buyers are operator-level leaders who believe in data/AI
If NO to any above → Partner is NOT a fit. Stop here.
Section 3: Revenue Path Clarity
Question: How will this partner generate revenue for Brainforge?
Revenue Mechanism:
- Sales reps bring us into deals (Tech Vendor)
- Referrals from partner’s network (Agency, Affiliate)
- Post-sale implementations (Capability Completer)
- Co-marketing leads (Channel Multiplier)
- Other: [Describe]
Specific Accounts:
- Can partner name 3+ specific accounts they would introduce us to?
- Account 1: [Name, Industry, Why fit]
- Account 2: [Name, Industry, Why fit]
- Account 3: [Name, Industry, Why fit]
Introduction Process:
- How will introductions happen? [Describe process]
- Who at partner makes introductions? [Role/Name]
- What triggers an introduction? [Criteria]
- How often can we expect introductions? [Frequency]
90-Day Activation Plan:
- Partner willing to co-own 90-day activation plan? [Yes/No]
- If yes, what are the milestones? [List]
- What does success look like in 90 days? [Define]
Revenue Path Clarity Score (0-10):
- Score: [0-10]
- Rationale: [Why this score?]
Must-Have Check:
- Partner can name specific accounts they would introduce us to
- Partner has clear mechanism for introductions
- Partner is willing to co-own a 90-day activation plan
If NO to any above → Partner is NOT a fit. Stop here.
Section 4: Archetype Fit
Question: Which partner archetype does this partner fit, and how?
Selected Archetype: [Demand Creator, Deal Accelerator, Capability Completer, Channel Multiplier]
How Partner Fits This Archetype:
- Describe how partner creates value in this archetype
- What specific value do they provide? [List]
- How does this compress time-to-revenue? [Explain]
Value Proposition Alignment:
- Creates buying urgency we didn’t have to manufacture? [Yes/No - How?]
- Removes a step in buyer’s decision process? [Yes/No - Which step?]
- Increases win rate, deal size, or speed to close? [Yes/No - How?]
Archetype Fit Score (0-10):
- Score: [0-10]
- Rationale: [Why this score?]
Must-Have Check:
- Partner fits one or more archetypes
- Partner’s value proposition aligns with archetype
- Partner creates one or more: buying urgency, removes decision step, increases win rate/deal size/speed
If NO to any above → Partner is NOT a fit. Stop here.
Section 5: Economics
Question: What are the partnership economics, and do they work for both sides?
Partner Benefit:
- What does partner get from this partnership? [List]
- Discount on Brainforge services? [Amount/Percentage]
- Commission on referrals? [Amount/Percentage]
- Revenue share? [Amount/Percentage]
- Other benefits? [List]
Brainforge Benefit:
- What does Brainforge get from this partnership? [List]
- Discount on partner services? [Amount/Percentage]
- Qualified leads? [Expected volume]
- Revenue share? [Amount/Percentage]
- Other benefits? [List]
Economic Impact:
- Does partnership increase deal size? [Yes/No - How much?]
- Does partnership increase close rate? [Yes/No - By how much?]
- Does partnership reduce sales cycle? [Yes/No - By how much?]
- Does partnership compress pricing? [Yes/No - If yes, STOP - not acceptable]
- Does partnership turn us into staff augmentation? [Yes/No - If yes, STOP - not acceptable]
Economics Score (0-10):
- Score: [0-10]
- Rationale: [Why this score?]
Must-Have Check:
- Partnership economics are acceptable (referral fees, discounts, revenue share only when value is real)
- Partnership does NOT compress pricing
- Partnership does NOT turn us into staff augmentation
- Partnership increases deal size, close rate, or reduces sales cycle
If NO to any above → Partner is NOT a fit. Stop here.
Section 6: Strategic Value
Question: What strategic value does this partnership provide beyond revenue?
Market Validation:
- Does partner provide market validation? [Yes/No - How?]
- Does partner boost credibility? [Yes/No - In what way?]
Access:
- Does partner offer access to hard-to-enter industries? [Yes/No - Which?]
- Does partner offer access to key accounts? [Yes/No - Which?]
Joint Opportunities:
- Joint marketing opportunities? [Yes/No - What?]
- Case study opportunities? [Yes/No - What?]
- Co-selling opportunities? [Yes/No - What?]
Strategic Value Score (0-10):
- Score: [0-10]
- Rationale: [Why this score?]
Nice-to-Have (not required):
- Partner provides market validation or credibility boost
- Partner offers access to hard-to-enter industries or accounts
- Partner enables joint marketing or case study opportunities
Section 7: Joint Value Proposition Statement
Question: What is the joint value proposition for our shared customers?
Customer Problem:
- What problem do our shared customers face? [Describe]
- Why can’t they solve it alone? [Explain]
Joint Solution:
- How do Brainforge + Partner solve this together? [Describe]
- What does Brainforge bring? [List]
- What does Partner bring? [List]
- Why is the combination better than either alone? [Explain]
Customer Outcome:
- What outcome does the customer get? [Describe]
- How is this measured? [Metrics]
- What’s the time to value? [Timeline]
Joint Value Proposition Statement:
[Write 2-3 sentence statement of joint value prop]
Example:
“Brainforge + Snowflake help Scale Up companies (100M) operationalize their data platform in 6 weeks instead of 6 months. Snowflake provides the platform and sales rep relationships; Brainforge provides the implementation expertise and embedded team model. Together, we remove execution risk and accelerate time-to-value for buyers who’ve already purchased Snowflake but aren’t getting value.”
Section 8: Qualification Summary
IPP Score Calculation:
- ICP Alignment: [0-10] = [Score]
- Revenue Path Clarity: [0-10] = [Score]
- Archetype Fit: [0-10] = [Score]
- Economics: [0-10] = [Score]
- Strategic Value: [0-10] = [Score]
- Total IPP Score: [0-50] = [Total]
Partner Status:
- Strategic (40-50 points) - Prioritize
- Good (30-39 points) - Pursue
- Evaluate (20-29 points) - Test
- Pass (<20 points) - Not a fit
Qualification Decision:
- ✅ APPROVED - Add to tracker, begin engagement
- ⚠️ CONDITIONAL - Address gaps, then re-evaluate
- ❌ REJECTED - Not a fit, do not pursue
Rationale: [Explain decision and any conditions]
Section 9: Next Steps (If Approved)
90-Day Activation Plan:
- Week 1-2: [Action items]
- Week 3-4: [Action items]
- Month 2: [Action items]
- Month 3: [Action items]
Success Metrics:
- Metric 1: [Target]
- Metric 2: [Target]
- Metric 3: [Target]
Review Date: [Date - 90 days from start]
✅ Completion Checklist
Before adding partner to tracker:
- All sections completed
- All Must-Have checks passed
- IPP Score calculated (minimum 20 points to proceed)
- Joint Value Proposition statement written
- Qualification decision made
- If approved: 90-day activation plan created
- Partner added to tracker with IPP scores
- Partner added to HubSpot with proper tags
- Initial outreach scheduled
📚 Related Documentation
- Ideal Partner Profile:
../ideal-partner-profile.md- IPP framework - Partner Playbook:
../partner-playbook.md- Strategy and approach - Partner Tracking System:
../partner-tracking-system.md- How to track partners - Tracker Final Schema:
../tracker-final-schema.md- Tracker structure
🚫 Red Flags (Automatic Rejection)
If any of these are true, partner is NOT a fit:
- ❌ Partner cannot name specific accounts they would introduce us to
- ❌ Partner’s ICP does not match Brainforge ICP
- ❌ Partnership economics compress pricing
- ❌ Partnership turns us into staff augmentation
- ❌ Partner wants “optional collaboration” without revenue ownership
- ❌ Partner frames value as “long-term upside” only
- ❌ Partner unwilling to co-own 90-day activation plan
- ❌ Partner cannot explain how they help us close business this quarter
Last Updated: January 2025
Owner: GTM / Partnerships Lead
Required For: All new partner additions