I’ve had a few not-so-great partnership experiences, and I’ve realized most of the problems came down to misalignment early on. We’d get excited about a partner, shake hands (metaphorically), and then three weeks into a project, realize we had completely different ideas about success metrics, timeline, or what ‘quality’ even meant.
So now I’m building a more structured process for vetting partners before we commit to serious work. I want to have real strategy discussions—not just exchange pleasantries and portfolios, but actually dig into how we think, what we value, and whether we’re solving the same problem.
I’ve started using case study sharing and strategy discussions to get a sense of this. It’s helping, but I’m still not 100% sure I’m asking the right questions or thinking about this the right way. Some of it feels like personality matching, some of it feels like due diligence.
So I’m asking: what does your partner vetting process actually look like? Are you structured and methodical, or more intuitive? What’s the minimum information you need before you’d commit to a co-branded campaign or joint project with someone new? And what’s a red flag that makes you walk away?
I’ve built a pretty structured process over the years, and it’s saved me from a lot of bad partnerships. Here’s the flow:
Step 1: Portfolio Review. I look at their past work and how they talk about it. Do they take credit for strategy, or just execution? Do they understand ROI, or are they just looking at vanity metrics? This tells you how they think.
Step 2: Strategy Call. This is where the real vetting happens. I pitch a hypothetical brief—something relevant to what we might work on—and let them propose how they’d approach it. I listen for:
- Do they ask clarifying questions, or do they assume?
- Do they think about audience first, or channels first?
- Are they flexible, or are they rigid in their approach?
Step 3: Client Reference. I always ask for a reference, and I always call them. Not a quick email—a real conversation. I ask: ‘What was it like working with them? Would you do it again?’ If someone hesitates, that’s a signal.
Step 4: Values Alignment. This is less about what they say and more about what you observe. Do they respect timelines? Are they responsive? Do they seem genuinely interested in your success, or just the paycheck? You can feel the difference.
Red flags for me: Someone who won’t share case studies, someone who gets defensive when you ask questions, someone whose portfolio is all B-list clients (usually means they’re coasting), and anyone who overpromises in the first conversation.
One thing I’ve learned: the first project together should always be smaller scope than you might want. I want to know how they work, how they communicate, how they handle pressure, before I’m betting serious money on them.
So my process now is: first project is a pilot. It’s designed to be valuable for the client, but it’s also a test for us. How fast do they move? How good is the quality? How do they respond to feedback? Do they disappear when things get hard?
Only after I’ve seen them perform do I propose bigger partnerships.
Also, I’ve started documenting expectations very explicitly. Before we kick off, we have a call where I literally walk through: goals, timeline, deliverables, who’s responsible for what, how we handle disagreements, exit clause if it’s not working. It feels a bit formal, but it prevents so much miscommunication.
From a creator’s perspective, the partnerships that work are the ones where both sides are genuinely excited to work together, not just making a deal. When an agency approaches me and I can tell they’ve thought about why we’re a good fit—not just because I have followers, but because they get my creative approach—that’s when I’m excited to say yes.
For you vetting partners, I’d apply the same logic. Don’t just look at their numbers. Look at whether they’re actually interested in your vision and your clients. Do they ask questions about your brand positioning? Do they seem to care about learning your market?
If they just say, ‘Yeah, sounds cool, when do we start?’—that’s a person who’s not going to perform. If they say, ‘Tell me more about why this matters to your client, and here’s what I’m thinking based on that’—that’s your partner.
Also, trust your gut. If something feels off, it probably is. I’ve worked with agencies that looked great on paper but felt icky in the first conversation. I learned to listen to that feeling.
I’d add a data layer to this. You need to know:
- What metrics do they optimize for? If they care about engagement and you care about conversion, you’re going to have tension.
- What’s their track record with similar brands or audiences? Success with one vertical doesn’t guarantee success with another.
- How do they handle scope creep or feedback? Ask them: ‘If a client asks for something outside the original brief, how do you handle it?’ Their answer matters.
- What’s their process for iteration and refinement? Some people get defensive about feedback; others are collaborative.
I also ask to see financial statements or partnership agreements from past projects—anonymized, obviously. Not because I’m suspicious, but because I want to understand if we have compatible expectations around investment and returns.
Red flag for me: anyone who guarantees results. No one can guarantee results. If they’re promising that, they’re either lying or they don’t understand variability in market conditions.
Green flag: someone who can articulate why they make certain decisions, and who can explain both successes and failures. That’s a thinking partner.
I love this question because partnership is really about finding people you want to work with, not just people who are competent.
Here’s what I do: I start with genuine curiosity. I ask about their journey, how they got into this space, what they’re proud of. Not in an interview way—just in a real conversation way. People open up when you’re genuinely interested.
From there, I’ve learned a lot about someone by asking: ‘What kind of client makes you excited to work?’ and ‘What’s a project that didn’t work out, and what did you learn?’ Their answers tell you whether they’re growth-minded and collaborative.
I also look at how they treat people who have less status than them. How are they with freelancers? With junior team members? That’s a window into their character.
My gut has been pretty reliable. When I’ve felt a real connection with someone and sensed that we’re aligned on values—not just services—those partnerships have been amazing. When I’ve ignored my gut because ‘on paper’ they were perfect? That’s when things fell apart.
I think the tool here is the strategy discussion—use it to actually talk, not to pitch. Listen more than you talk. You’ll know pretty quickly if it’s right.
My approach is structured, but I’ll admit people are unpredictable. Here’s my framework:
Pre-Partnership Assessment:
- Historical performance: ask for data on past campaigns. Engagement rates, conversion rates, CAC, ROAS. If they can’t articulate these, that’s a problem.
- Client similarity: do they have experience with brands similar to yours in scale, vertical, and market complexity?
- Team composition: who exactly are you working with? Is it one person? A team? What happens if that person leaves?
- Pricing transparency: do they charge a flat fee, commission, or retainer? Are they clear about what’s included and what costs extra?
During Vetting Calls:
- Ask them to walk you through a past campaign, including what didn’t work and how they fixed it.
- Present a scenario and ask how they’d approach it. Listen for depth of thinking vs. surface-level answers.
- Ask about their view on testing: do they believe in rapid iteration and learning, or are they more cautious?
Red Flags:
- Vague metrics (‘Our campaigns typically do really well’)
- Defensive reactions to questions
- Long drawn-out sales process (usually means they’re trying to convince you rather than solve your problem)
- Unclear about their own costs and margins (if they’re not transparent with financials, that creates risk)
What I Commit Based On:
- A small pilot project with clear success metrics
- A documented scope of work and responsibilities
- A defined review cadence (weekly or bi-weekly check-ins)
- Clear exit clauses if performance isn’t meeting expectations by [specific date]
I don’t do long-term partnerships without proving out a short-term one first.
I think there’s something important about shared struggle here. The best partnership I’ve had is with someone who’s facing similar challenges to mine—we’re trying to scale into new markets, we both understand the complexity, so we’re naturally collaborative.
So when I’m vetting a partner, I’m looking for: are they solving a similar problem? Do they get why navigating cross-market work is hard? Or do they think it’s just “do marketing, get results”?
I’m also paying attention to their energy. Are they trying to quickly extract value from me, or are they thinking about what we could build together over time? Long-term partners have a different energy right from the first conversation.
My process is less formal, but it’s also less risky because I’m starting small and making decisions as I learn. First conversation is exploratory. Second conversation is about a small potential project. Third conversation is where I decide if this is someone I want to go deeper with.
But I’m probably less rigorous than Alex or Anna. I rely more on patterns and intuition. That works for me, but I know it’s risky.