Partnerships
In some cases Exalynt partners with another company to help find clients and grow the business. A Partner is paid for that work under a written agreement. That is not a Referral: Exalynt never pays or discounts for referrals (details), and nothing on this page changes that.
A referral is a recommendation. A partnership is a business arrangement. One is never paid. The other is a service Exalynt buys, agreed in writing before any introduction is made.
Referral or partnership?
| Referral | Partnership | |
|---|---|---|
| Who | A client, an engineer, or anyone who knows Exalynt | A company Exalynt chooses to work with |
| Why | They had a good experience and think someone they know would too | Finding clients is part of their business |
| What they do | Recommend Exalynt and make an introduction | Look for clients who are a good fit for Exalynt and introduce them, as the agreement describes |
| Agreement | None | Written, and in place before any introduction |
| Paid? | Never | Yes, as the agreement sets out, usually a percentage of the blocks the client pays for over a set period |
| Who pays | Nobody | Exalynt, out of its own share |
| Effect on the client's price | None | None |
| Effect on engineer payouts | None | None |
Why a partnership isn't a referral
The difference isn't the money alone. A partnership is a different kind of relationship.
- It's work, not a recommendation. A referral is a personal opinion, shared because someone believes in the work. A partner does business development for Exalynt as part of running their own business, and is paid for that work the way Exalynt pays any other company for a service.
- It's agreed in advance. A partnership starts with a written agreement, before the partner introduces anyone. There's no way to turn a recommendation into a paid one after the fact.
- It's with a business Exalynt chooses. Partnerships are a decision Exalynt makes deliberately, with companies whose clients would benefit from how Exalynt works. Clients and engineers don't become partners by recommending people.
- It's limited by its terms. A partner is paid only as its agreement sets out, usually for a specific period after introducing a client, not for as long as that client keeps buying blocks.
How partners are paid
Each partnership agreement sets out how the partner is paid, so the details vary. Usually the partner earns a percentage of the blocks the client they introduced pays for, over a specific period of time. When the period ends, so do the partner's payments for that client.
- It comes out of Exalynt's share. A partner payment is a direct cost on the block, like the lead payout, so it reduces what Exalynt retains (details).
- The client's price doesn't change. A client introduced by a partner pays what they would have paid without one.
- Engineer payouts don't change. The engineer is paid first, Capacity Payout Basis × Engineer Share, whether or not a partner introduced the client (details).
The same engagement for every client
A client introduced by a partner works with Exalynt exactly like any other client: one iteration at a time, a checkpoint at the end of each, the same standard of excellence, ownership of their software and data, and the freedom to stop after any iteration. See Working with Exalynt.
Frequently asked questions
Doesn't Exalynt say it never pays for referrals?
Yes, and it doesn't. A partnership isn't a referral. It's a business arrangement with a company whose work includes finding clients, agreed in writing before any introduction. See Why a partnership isn't a referral.
I'm a client or an engineer. Can I become a partner so my referrals are paid?
No. Recommending Exalynt to people you know is a referral, and referrals are never paid. Partnerships are with companies that do business development as part of their work, and they're agreed in writing before any introductions are made.
Will I pay more if a partner introduced me to Exalynt?
No. A partner introduction doesn't change your price. Exalynt pays the partner out of its own share.
Does a partner payment reduce what engineers are paid?
No. Engineer payouts are Capacity Payout Basis × Engineer Share, and they're paid first. A partner payment is a direct cost that reduces what Exalynt retains, not what the engineer earns.
How much does a partner earn?
It depends on the agreement. Usually it's a percentage of the blocks the introduced client pays for, over a specific period of time.