Principal Experience · Partnerships · Ecommerce Platforms · Channel Growth
Adobe reseller deal: the partnership that took the channel past half of ARR.
How a checkout company went from a partner program in the single digits of revenue to a channel driving more than half of ARR, anchored by reseller deals with Adobe and BigCommerce.
This case study draws on work led by a Rebar principal in a previous operating role.
The outcome
A Rebar principal built a checkout company's partner ecosystem from zero, then closed the largest strategic deals in its history, including reseller agreements with Adobe and BigCommerce. The partner channel grew from single digits to 25% of ARR, then to more than 50%, and was a primary driver of the company's growth to an $11B valuation.
At a glance
Situation, complication, resolution
SSituation
Direct sales were working, but each merchant took a long, expensive cycle. Merchants chose checkout tools based on what their commerce platform and agency recommended.
CComplication
The company had no partner program, no partner team and no relationships with the platforms that controlled merchant decisions. Large platforms rarely sign reseller deals with startups.
RResolution
The team built the ecosystem in layers: agencies and systems integrators first, then technology partners, then the platform reseller deals that turned the channel into the main growth engine.
01 · The challenge
Why do platform reseller deals with companies like Adobe take so long to land?
Commerce platforms sit between merchants and every tool they buy. A recommendation from the platform or its agencies shortens a sales cycle from months to weeks. Without one, a startup sells merchant by merchant against everyone else on the marketplace.
Platforms like Adobe and BigCommerce have strict criteria for anything they resell. They need proof of merchant demand, a product that fits their roadmap, operational readiness to support their customers and a commercial model that works for their own sales teams.
The company had none of that in place when the principal began building the program.
02 · The approach
How do you build a partner channel that drives half of a company's revenue?
The team built the ecosystem from the ground up, with each layer creating the proof the next layer required. By the time the platform conversations got serious, agencies and merchants were already pulling for the integration.
Recruit the agencies
Built the agency and systems integrator program from zero to 70+ partners, so the people advising merchants were recommending the product.
Add technology partners
Signed 15+ technology partners to make the product easier to adopt alongside the tools merchants already used.
Make it a revenue line
Built partner operations, marketing and enablement, and brought the channel to 25% of company ARR.
Land the platforms
Used agency demand and merchant results to close reseller deals with Adobe and BigCommerce, the largest in company history.
| Party | Role | What they needed | How the team delivered it |
|---|---|---|---|
| Platform partnerships | Sponsor | Proof their merchants wanted the product | Agency and merchant demand documented from the existing ecosystem |
| Platform product | Approver | Fit with the platform roadmap and user experience | Joint integration plan and product alignment sessions |
| Platform sales | Influencer | An easy product for their reps to sell | Enablement, pricing and deal support built for their teams |
| Internal sales team | Stakeholder | Credit and clarity on partner-sourced deals | Clear rules of engagement and shared compensation |
03 · The results
What did the Adobe and BigCommerce deals change?
The reseller deals put the product in front of merchants through the platforms they already trusted. Combined with the agency and technology ecosystem, the partner channel moved from a side program to the company's largest source of revenue.
Of ARR through partners
Up from single digits when the program started.
Partners in the ecosystem
70+ agencies and systems integrators plus 15+ technology partners.
BD directors hired
A dedicated team to open new distribution channels.
The lesson
Platforms do not sign with startups because of a pitch. They sign when their own agencies and merchants are already asking for you. Build that pull first.
04 · What carries over
What can companies learn about building a partner channel?
Build the pull before the platform deal.
Agencies and merchants asking for you is the strongest pitch.
Layer the ecosystem.
Agencies, then tech partners, then platforms, each proving the next.
Treat partners as a revenue line.
Give the channel its own team, operations and targets.
Solve channel conflict early.
Clear rules of engagement keep direct sellers on side.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
How do you land a reseller partnership with a platform like Adobe?
Build demand first. Recruit the agencies and systems integrators who advise the platform's merchants, add technology partners, and document merchant results. Then approach the platform with proof that its own ecosystem already wants the product, along with an enablement and commercial model that works for its sales team.
How large can a partner channel get?
In this case the partner channel grew from single digits of ARR to 25%, then to more than 50% of company ARR after the Adobe and BigCommerce reseller deals.
What should come first, agency partners or platform partners?
Agency and systems integrator partners usually come first. They create the merchant demand and proof that platforms look for before signing reseller agreements.
What does Rebar do?
Rebar is a CRO-led go-to-market firm based in Austin, Texas. It helps companies move from founder-led sales to a repeatable revenue engine, including first anchor customers, partner channels and new market entry.