Why ISV Co-Sell Fails (and How to Fix It in 30 Days)
Every SaaS company that “joins AWS” thinks co-sell will magically unlock pipeline. It doesn’t. Most ISVs stall out because they treat AWS like a marketing channel, not a quota-carrying sales ecosystem.
The real reason co-sell doesn’t convert
After reviewing 50+ partner motions across Series A–E ISVs, the failure patterns are consistent:
No clear workload mapping (AWS sellers can’t mentally place you)
ACE submissions with zero context or attach strategy
Reps not enabled on how to pitch your solution
Misalignment between your ICP and AWS rep territories
Zero follow-through post-submission
AWS sellers don’t chase you. You have to make yourself useful.
What AWS sellers actually care about
They want:
Deals they can attach to TODAY
Workloads that align to their quota
Low-friction partners who package the work
Messaging that fits AWS vocabulary
Your 30-day activation sprint
Week 1: Map workloads, ICP, territories.
Week 2: Build one “Co-Sell Ready” pitch deck + rep talk track.
Week 3: ACE hygiene + submit 2–3 legit opportunities.
Week 4: High-touch outreach to 20 AWS reps aligned to your ICP.
Outcome:
Visibility → Attach → Pipeline.
This is the fastest path to becoming actually co-sell ready.
Want this done for you? We run the exact 30-day AWS Activation Sprint for B2B ISVs.