The channel profession is an ideal environment for women transitioning from other tech roles mid-career. It uniquely values skills like multitasking and relationship-building while providing broad business exposure, offering a more supportive culture for career longevity.

Companies often hire growth leaders in a panic when growth stalls. A better approach is to hire when you have early signs of channel fit. This allows the new hire to scale what's working and build a team around that proven channel, rather than desperately searching for any that might work.

For SDRs interested in roles like Customer Success, leaders must meet with those department heads to identify required skills. Then, create projects (e.g., running enablement, building ROI docs) that allow SDRs to develop those specific, non-AE competencies.

The B2B sales channel has evolved from a linear reseller model to a complex ecosystem. Deals are now shaped by multiple, often unknown, partners like consultants and system integrators. Vendors must act like detectives to map this hidden influence network to succeed.

Companies are replacing traditional, siloed sales assembly lines with a centralized "GTM Engineer." This technical role uses AI and automation tools to build revenue systems, absorbing the manual research and prospecting work previously done by individual reps. This allows for rapid learning and scaling of creative ideas across the entire team.

As ad costs rise and organic reach declines, B2B businesses should evolve their sales teams. Instead of focusing solely on cold outreach, empower them with the bandwidth and capability to build and manage a systemized network of referral partners. This creates a predictable and more profitable growth engine.

To build effective GTM automation, hire people who understand both the technology and the sales process. Vercel found success by transitioning its technical sales engineers—who were already former developers—into GTM Engineer roles. This ensures automated workflows are grounded in proven, real-world sales best practices.

Eliminate separate distribution managers. By making Channel Managers responsible for the entire ecosystem—from distributors to partners—you ensure a consistent message and strategy, avoiding the information decay common in tiered channel models.

The biggest misconception is viewing the channel SE as a reactive resource for complex questions. They provide the same strategic support as an internal SE and should be involved early and often, not just when a technical problem arises.