683- Get Specific, Get Rich, or Get Out with Jay McBain

683- Get Specific, Get Rich, or Get Out with Jay McBain

From Paul Higgins Podcast by Paul Higgins

May 14, 2026 · 45 min · Episode 683

About this episode

Jay McBain discusses the challenges faced by partners in the tech industry and the importance of specific positioning for success.

Why you should listen Jay McBain breaks down the data behind why 51% of partners are in double-digit profit decline while the industry grows at 10.2%, and what separates the partners winning from the ones quietly falling behind. Learn the specific positioning shift that gets you found by large language models, buyers, and vendors, including why "I sell to midsize banks in Perth and do compliance" beats every generic services page on the internet. Walk away with the new partner economics: the 6.3 partners surrounding every SaaS deal, the 28 measurable moments in a buyer's journey, and where partner revenue actually sits inside the next 20 years of AI. Half the channel is in double-digit profit decline in an industry growing 10% a year, and most SaaS partners can't work out why their pipeline is drying up. In this episode, I talk with Jay McBain, Chief Analyst at Omdia, the world's leading voice on channels, partnerships, and ecosystems, with 32 years entirely in the channel. We get into why digital sameness is killing smaller partners, why large language models can't find you when you do all things to all people, and where the real money sits inside the 20-year AI era. Jay shares…

People in this episode

Host: Paul Higgins

Guest: Jay McBain

Topics covered

  • partner economics
  • SaaS deals
  • AI impact
  • digital marketing
  • business strategy

Keywords

  • partner profit decline
  • large language models
  • buyer journey
  • SaaS
  • tech services

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Omdia

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