Decentralized Autonomous Organizations (DAOs) can shift the power dynamic in large partner ecosystems. Instead of a top-down vendor model, partners can collectively propose, vote on, and update incentive rules. This transforms partners from being passive recipients of policy into active co-creators, fostering a more collaborative and competitive "living ecosystem."

By deeply understanding partner sentiment through co-design, Cisco was able to be empathetic to partners' internal challenges. They created executive-facing collateral specifically to help partners explain the program changes to their own boards, effectively turning partners into advocates for the new program.

Cisco moved beyond traditional geographic customization in its new partner program. It now prioritizes accommodating different partner sizes ('t-shirt sizing') and diverse business models (like managed services or advisors). This modern approach favors a globally consistent framework that adapts to business function rather than location.

Instead of building its program in a vacuum, Lenovo proactively gathered a group of MSPs to act as an advisory council. This allowed them to understand partner needs, identify market gaps, and craft a more relevant and successful program from the outset, which they continue to iterate on.

To manage feedback from its large co-design community, Cisco used multiple channels (webinars, 1-on-1s) and AI to synthesize the input. This revealed highly consistent themes across diverse groups, giving them confidence they were addressing the core "reality" of partner needs, not just anecdotes.

Instead of just applying an old playbook, a new channel leader should brainstorm with partners to meet their specific market needs. The speaker gives an example of creating an "aggregator" model for smaller partners who couldn't sell an enterprise-only product, allowing them to buy in bulk and resell to their smaller customer base.

Anticipating the rise of AI, Cisco built its new program on a flexible, points-based system. This framework is designed to accommodate and potentially recognize AI agents as certified contributors ('CCIE agents') within a partner's practice, treating them as teammates rather than just tools.

For a program change of this magnitude, Cisco measured success by how "uneventful" and "quiet" the launch was. They achieved this by testing and exposing partners to new metrics and systems for months beforehand. This ensured the final cutover was a smooth operational event, not a disruptive shock.

The Cisco 360 launch was more than a program update; it catalyzed a company-wide transformation. It spurred improvements in data foundations, digital partner experience, and internal systems, elevating the importance of partnering across the entire organization and rallying other departments around partner success.