Cold Call Should Wasabi Technologies Make the Move from Direct Sales to a Channel Strategy?
Mar 31, 2026
Lou Shipley, Senior Lecturer at Harvard Business School and author of Unlikely Entrepreneurs, explores go-to-market strategy for a fast-growing cloud storage company. He breaks down when founders should shift a winning sales motion to channels. Short takes cover channel partner risks, avoiding conflict, international anchor deals, OEM embedding, and how founders earn the right to scale.
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Focus Versus Scale Is A Core Go-To Dilemma
- Startups face a trade-off between focus and scale when choosing a go-to-market motion.
- Wasabi's dilemma was whether to keep direct-sales simplicity or pursue partner leverage to reach broader markets quickly.
Founder’s Synthesizer Past Shaped Direct Sales
- David Friend's background selling synthesizers shaped his emphasis on direct customer relationships.
- He answered 3 a.m. calls from bands like Steely Dan, which taught him the value of close support and shaped Wasabi's initial direct-sales approach.
Prepare Direct Team And Economics Before Going Channel
- When shifting to channel sales, quantify partner economics and anticipate direct-team pushback.
- Wasabi raised quotas and communicated changes so direct reps would accept working through partners rather than resist losing deals.
