In the Age of AI, Don’t Forget What Makes Alliances Work: People
I am about to NOT go out on a limb with an assertion: Artificial intelligence is transforming the way companies build and scale technology alliances. From automating account mapping to generating co-sell collateral to surfacing joint opportunity signals, AI is quickly becoming an integral part of the partner playbook. And for good reason.
But amid the buzz, I’m seeing something concerning: In all the exuberance, organizations are leaning so heavily into AI they risk eroding the very thing that makes alliances work in the first place—human relationships.
Let me be clear. I’m not anti-AI. Far from it. It’s a game-changer when used well. Who am I to suggest otherwise?! But alliances aren’t just about insights or automation. They’re about trust, influence, and co-creation—all deeply human endeavors. And when organizations undervalue the human touch, they introduce strategic risks they often don’t see coming.
Alliances Are Built on Trust, Not Transactions Strategic partnerships aren’t short-term deals. They’re long-cycle, high-touch relationships that require alignment of interests, executive sponsorship, and organizational commitment. No AI model, no matter how well-tuned, can build trust in a quarterly business review, navigate egos and power dynamics, or salvage a faltering relationship through empathy and accountability. AI tools don’t make phone calls!
Innovation Still Requires Conversation Some of the most impactful joint solutions I’ve seen come not from shared dashboards, but from whiteboarding sessions, hallway conversations, or moments of clarity during a shared customer escalation. AI can generate ideas, sure—but creativity, judgment, and buy-in come from people working together. If you rely on generative tools to define your joint value proposition without truly understanding your partner's product strategy, pain points, or roadmap pressures, you’re likely solving the wrong problem.
Influence Isn’t Automatable Great alliance leaders are also internal influencers. They rally product, sales, marketing, and customer success teams around a partner’s strategic relevance. That takes political capital, context, and storytelling—none of which AI is positioned to provide today. When we lean too hard on automation, we risk reducing alliance managers to process coordinators rather than strategic orchestrators.
Human + AI: The Right Balance So where does AI belong in alliances? Honestly, I’m still trying to figure that out, but it seems that the answer is: Everywhere it can augment human effectiveness. Let AI handle the heavy lifting that is partner data enrichment, co-sell alerting, enablement content creation, and pipeline attribution. But let humans lead where it matters most: trust-building, roadmap alignment, strategic negotiation, and internal influence.
I like this simple rule of thumb: If it strengthens trust, requires empathy, or drives influence—keep it human. If it saves time, improves clarity, or reveals patterns—use AI to accelerate.
The Future Appears to be Hybrid The best alliances teams of the future will be those who find this balance. They won’t fear AI, nor will they over-rotate toward it. They’ll build leaner, smarter teams with technical fluency, data literacy, and emotional intelligence. And most importantly, they’ll never forget that at the heart of every great alliance is not just a joint solution, but a human relationship.
That’s something worth protecting—no matter how advanced our tools become.
Calvin Rowland is the founder of Cascadia Leadership Advisors, where he helps technology companies build more strategic and impactful alliance programs. Learn more at www.cascadialeadershipadvisors.com.
