Message Architecture

The Partnership Email Template

Subject: Partnership opportunity: [Specific benefit for them]

Opening (Authentic Connection):

‍"[Specific reference to their recent activity/content/achievement]"

Context (Partnership Positioning):

"We're working on [brief description] that might align with [their goals/initiatives]"

Value (Reciprocal Benefit):

‍"Specifically, we could [concrete value proposition for them]"

Proof (Social Proof/Credibility):

‍"We've already [relevant traction/partnerships/results]"

Next Step (Clear Ask):

‍"Worth exploring? [Specific, low-friction next step]"

Close:‍

"Best,

[Your name]"

Examples

Example 1: Influencer Partnership

The Research:Alex spent 30 minutes researching Ali Abdaal, who has 4M+ YouTube subscribers focused on productivity and entrepreneurship. He found:

• Ali recently posted "Apps That Actually Make You More Productive" which got 800K views
• He regularly features productivity tools but only ones he genuinely uses
• He tweeted asking "What's your #1 productivity struggle?" last week
• His audience is primarily young professionals and students (18-35 demographic)

The Email:

‍Subject: Productivity data your audience would love

Hi Ali,

Loved your recent video on productivity apps—especially the point about most apps being "productivity theater" instead of actually helping. That's exactly what our user research is showing.

[Context: References his specific video and key insight]

We're building a habit-tracking app focused on the psychology of behavior change, and we've gathered some fascinating data from 100K+ users about what productivity habits actually stick (vs. what people think will work).

[Partnership positioning: Leading with valuable insights, not product pitch]

The findings are pretty counterintuitive—like how people who track fewer habits are 3x more likely to stick with them, or how "productivity guilt" actually makes people less productive.

[Reciprocal value: Data insights his audience would find genuinely interesting]

I'm thinking this could make for compelling content for your audience. What if we designed a 30-day productivity experiment specifically for your viewers and tracked the real results?

[Specific collaboration idea that creates content value]

We've done similar experiments with other creators and always share all revenue from any signups, but honestly the data insights might be more valuable than the conversions.

[Shows win-win thinking, revenue sharing mentioned but not primary focus]

Worth exploring? I can send over some early findings and examples of previous collaborations.

[Clear next step: Low friction, specific]

Best,

Alex

Why This Would Work:

• Referenced his specific content and core insight about "productivity theater"
• Led with genuinely valuable data insights for his audience
• Proposed collaborative content creation, not just sponsorship
• Aligned with his audience demographic (young professionals)
• Focused on value creation first, monetization second

Example 2: Influencer Partnership (Full Backstory)

The Research:

‍Sam researched Mike, a YouTube creator with 200K subscribers focused on productivity. He discovered:

• Mike's recent video on morning routines got 500K views
• He often tests productivity tools in his content
• He's mentioned wanting to do "experiments" with his audience
• Comments show his audience struggles with habit consistency

The Email:

‍Subject: Productivity experiment for your audience?

Hi Mike,

Loved your recent video on morning routines, especially the point about "keystone habits" creating momentum for everything else. That's exactly what we're seeing with our users.

[Authentic connection: References specific content and insight]

We built a habit-tracking app that focuses on just 2-3 core habits instead of trying to change everything at once. 78% of our users stick with their habits for 90+ days (vs. 8% industry average).

[Brief product description with compelling data]

I'm wondering if there's an interesting content collaboration here. What if we designed a 30-day productivity experiment specifically for your audience and tracked the results? Could make for compelling content and give your viewers real value.

[Partnership positioning: Collaborative experiment, not just product placement]

We've done similar experiments with other creators and always share all revenue from any signups their audience generates.

[Shows this is win-win, revenue sharing mentioned]

Interested in exploring this? I can send over some example experiments and our creator partnership details.

[Clear, specific next step]

Best,

Alex

Why This Would Work:

• Referenced specific video content that performed well
• Offered collaborative content creation, not just sponsorship
• Focused on value for his audience (interesting experiment)
• Mentioned revenue sharing upfront
• Suggested specific next step

Example 3: Strategic Advisor

Subject: Quick question about B2C marketplaces

Hi Jessica,

Been following your journey at ThredUp since the early days—the way you scaled community-driven commerce was brilliant. The marketplace dynamics you built are exactly what we're trying to figure out.

We're building a sustainability-focused marketplace and hitting some interesting challenges around supply-side growth. Specifically, how do you balance organic sellers vs. professional merchants without losing the authentic community feel?

Would love to get your perspective on this, and if there's alignment, explore whether you'd be interested in an advisory role. We're backed by [investors] and growing 40% month-over-month.

Worth a quick call? Happy to share our deck and traction details.

Best,

Jordan

What Happens After Someone Says "Yes"?

The Partnership Conversation Framework

Someone replied positively to your outreach. Now what?

Most founders freeze here because they don't know how to transition from interest to actual partnership. Here's your step-by-step framework:

The Discovery Call (20-30 minutes)

Your Goal: Understand their needs and explore mutual fit

Conversation Structure:

Opening (5 minutes):

‍"Thanks for taking the time to chat. I'm excited to explore how we might work together. Before I dive into what we're building, I'd love to understand more about your goals with [their business/content/audience]."

Discovery Questions (10-15 minutes):

• "What's working well with your current [content/partnerships/growth] strategy?"
• "What challenges are you facing that partnerships might help solve?"
• "What does success look like for you this quarter/year?"
• "What types of partnerships have worked best for you in the past?"
• "What makes you say no to partnership opportunities?"

Your Presentation (5-10 minutes):

• Brief overview of your product/company
• Specific collaboration ideas based on what you learned
• Initial thoughts on partnership structure
• Examples of similar partnerships you've done

Next Steps:

‍"Based on our conversation, I think [specific collaboration idea] could be really interesting. Should I put together a more detailed proposal for you to review?"