Redefining Revenue: Why Partnerships Are No Longer Optional | Jason Yarborough | S4E1

Here are the core areas we discuss in today's episode:

Bridging the GTM Divide: Conversations First, Revenue Follows

Jason’s journey from nonprofit work to sales and partnerships taught him the long-game value of connection. His mantra: revenue begins with conversations—and conversations require trust.

“Partnerships are a long game. They’re a compounding motion that starts with a conversation, not a contract.”

Rather than chasing quick hits, Jason emphasizes the importance of ecosystem relationships as pipeline multipliers and trust accelerators.

The Arcadia Vision: Unifying Revenue Teams through Harmony:

Born from a desire to eliminate GTM silos, Arcadia is Jason’s answer to a misaligned revenue world. Rather than treating Sales, Marketing, Customer Success, and Partnerships as separate functions, Arcadia’s mission is to bring harmony over handoffs.

“The Arcadia experience is about slowing down to speed up—creating space for GTM leaders to reconnect, realign, and build something better together.”

The initiative also blends nature, intention, and leadership development to shift how we show up in the boardroom and the field.

The Side-of-Desk Problem: Why Partnerships Need a Seat at the Table:

Jason challenges the industry’s tendency to treat partnerships as an afterthought, offering a clear distinction between companies that are “partner-curious” versus those that are “partner-committed.”

“If partnerships are going to work, they can’t be one person's hustle. They need executive support, systems, and shared success metrics.”

Without alignment from Sales and RevOps, partnerships will stay siloed—and revenue potential will remain untapped.

Injecting Partner Plays into Outbound:

The Three I’s Framework:

Jason introduces a repeatable, low-lift method for infusing partnership value into existing sales plays: the Three I’s:

• Intel - Partner-driven context and insight on key accounts
• Intros - Warm handoffs that replace cold outreach
• Influence - Advocacy and trust that accelerates deals

“It’s not about replacing what works - it’s about making what works, work better through the partner ecosystem.”

This model helps GTM teams reduce friction, improve pipeline velocity, and win with more confidence.

Partner Enablement is Internal Too:

One of Jason’s strongest points: most partner motions fail not because of poor strategy—but because internal teams don’t know how to work with partners. He advocates for regular enablement across sales, marketing, and CS to help them:

• Understand the partner motion
• Know when and how to involve a partner
• See clear attribution to deals

“The biggest lift in partnerships comes when internal sellers understand how to leverage partner plays naturally.”

Build Ecosystems Around Customer Need, Not Cool Logos:

Not all partners are created equal. Jason urges teams to build ecosystems intentionally, starting with what your customers actually want, and who they already trust.

“Your best ecosystem strategy starts with customer insight. Where are they already spending time? Who do they already trust? Build from there.”

This approach shifts the partnership conversation from “Who do we want to work with?” to “Who adds the most value to our customer journey?”

Learn more at www.forceandfrictionpodcast.com