When strategic partnership becomes a trap

And your partner decides how much you're worth

Do you recognize this situation?

• 60-80% of your revenue passes through a strategic partner
• He brings the clients, you do the work
• Margins are increasingly tight because "the market decides it"
• You'd like to sell directly but are afraid of losing the partner
• Your brand is invisible: clients know him, not you

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The prison of asymmetric partnership

At the beginning it was a dream.

He had the clients, you had the competence.
Together: immediate revenue, without commercial effort.

But over the years the relationship has become unbalanced.

He brings more and more work, but at lower and lower margins.
You execute more and more projects, but earn less and less per unit.
And the end client doesn't even know you exist.

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What happens when the partner has too much power

On the economic front:

• He decides the prices: "the client pays this"
• Margins thin: "we have to stay competitive"
• You invoice a lot but earn little
• Every year the negotiation starts again, always more downward

On the strategic front:

• You can't decide which clients to work on
• You can't choose which projects to accept
• Your product roadmap is dictated by his needs
• You grow only if and when he grows

On the brand front:

• The end client only sees the partner
• Your competence is "white label": invisible
• You don't build market reputation
• If the partnership ends, you have no direct clients

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Why it happens

It's not that the partner is bad or unfair.
It's that the balance of power is unbalanced.

He has the client, you only have the competence.
But competence without a client is hard to monetize.
And he knows it.

So he dictates the conditions.
And you, over time, accept them because "better this than nothing".

But every concession makes your position weaker.

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The (wrong) path many try

Apparent solution: Find a second partner to diversify

But if the structure remains the same (he brings clients, you execute), the problem remains.

You go from having one master to having two.
You haven't solved the dependency, you've just distributed it.

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The 5-step method:

1. Direct visibility to the end client
   → Co-branding, not white label
   → The client must know who does the work
2. Development of proprietary sales channel
   → Even small, even slow
   → But yours, under your control
3. Differentiation of offering
   → Services that only you offer, that the partner can't replicate
   → You become irreplaceable, not interchangeable
4. Contractual rebalancing
   → Negotiation from a position of strength
   → "We can continue, but under these conditions"
5. Exit scenario prepared
   → If the partner leaves, you have a credible plan B
   → You're no longer hostage to the relationship

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What changes after

The partnership still exists, but on equal terms.

He brings value, you bring value.
Margins reflect a balance, not blackmail.
And if tomorrow the partnership ended, you survive.

Collaboration stops being a trap and returns to being an opportunity.