The 5-Part Scoring Framework for AWS Partner Success

One of the most important things I’ve learned while building businesses is that sustainable growth requires a deliberate mix of focus, execution, and continuous learning. When we built an AWS Partner business, we grew from $0 to over $15M in annual revenue and achieved AWS Premier Partner status—something less than 1% of partners accomplish. What set us apart wasn’t just hard work; it was knowing exactly where to focus and how to prioritize.

Whether you’re an AWS Partner or aligning with any major platform, this framework is based on my real-world experience growing businesses in the AWS ecosystem. It’s designed to help you make strategic decisions that maximize value for your customers while driving your own growth. With clear priorities and consistent action, you’ll create a business that scales and delivers results.

You can see a screenshot of the AWS Partner Scoring Rubric Template in Figure 1.

The Five Areas That Drive Growth

Based on my experience, success in the AWS ecosystem—or any high-growth environment—comes down to excelling in five key areas. These areas aren’t abstract ideas; they’re practical, measurable drivers of growth. Each comes with focused questions and metrics to help you evaluate progress and take action.

1. Nail Your Superpower (20%)

Your business’s “superpower” is the unique capability that sets you apart—something you do better than anyone else that directly addresses your customers’ most pressing needs. For us, our superpower was expertise in DevOps and security on AWS. We identified a niche with high demand and little competition (at the time), aligning closely with what AWS prioritized for its customers. This focus allowed us to deliver exceptional results repeatedly, and it became the foundation of our growth.

Your superpower should not only differentiate you but also align with customer demand and industry trends. This alignment ensures that what you excel at is also what the market values most.

Customers, your sales team, and others may push you to expand beyond your core expertise, but this is often a mistake—unless it strengthens what makes you truly unique. Focus on becoming the best in the world at your niche. Paradoxically, narrowing your focus enables you to deliver greater impact and drive more sales.

Questions to ask yourself:

• What unique value do we offer that solves our customers’ most pressing needs?
• Does our niche have high demand and low competition?
• Are our customers aligned with our superpower, or do we need to refine our focus?
• How do we demonstrate expertise with measurable results (e.g., case studies, AWS Competencies, certifications)?

Measuring Success: Your expertise should be reflected in certifications, customer case studies, and industry recognitions like AWS Competencies. High-scoring businesses demonstrate expertise in high-demand areas and back it up with measurable results.

2. Build Strategic Partnerships (20%)

No business thrives in isolation. Strategic partnerships are essential, especially when working with a platform like AWS. We prioritized building strong relationships with AWS Professional Services, service teams, account teams, and Partner Managers. These partnerships unlocked co-selling opportunities, provided valuable insights, and offered resources that fueled our growth.

AWS offers a wealth of programs and incentives designed to support partners. However, success requires proactive engagement to fully capitalize on these opportunities. Some AWS Partners express frustration with the Partner program, often expecting leads or handouts. In contrast, we took a more “guerilla” approach. By sharing our expertise and passion directly with service teams and Professional Services, we created opportunities that aligned with the needs of AWS customers.

Questions to ask yourself:

• How do our partnerships generate co-selling opportunities, insights, or programs that directly drive customer value?
• Are we actively collaborating with the appropriate AWS teams, including AWS service teams and Professional Services, to effectively address customer needs?
• Are we fully leveraging AWS Incentive Programs, Competency validations, and co-selling opportunities?

Measuring Success: Success in partnerships is measured by clear, actionable results: increased co-selling opportunities, a steady flow of leads from AWS, and successful engagement with AWS programs that drive measurable outcomes.

3. Focus on Growth and Customer Success (30%)

Revenue is only one measure of success; the real driver of growth is customer satisfaction and trust. Metrics like revenue growth, the number of opportunities you’re creating, and your Customer Satisfaction Score (CSAT)—a measure of how satisfied customers are with your service—provide a clear view of your progress.

In my experience, double-digit year-over-year growth came from listening to customers, solving their problems, and delivering results that exceeded their expectations.

Questions to ask yourself:

• How are we measuring and improving customer trust and satisfaction to sustain long-term growth?
• What’s our revenue growth rate over the past six months?
• Are we creating and closing enough opportunities to sustain growth?

Measuring Success: Establish clear thresholds for growth. Examples include:

• High score: 20%+ revenue growth and consistently high CSAT/NPS.
• Medium score: 10–19% revenue growth.
• Low score: Less than 10% growth or declining customer satisfaction.

4. Commit to Continuous Learning (10%)

Staying relevant in the AWS ecosystem—or any fast-evolving area—requires relentless learning. We invested heavily in AWS certifications, training programs, and Competency validations, which validated our expertise and built customer trust. Continuous learning also ensured our team was equipped to stay ahead of industry changes and customer needs.

Questions to ask yourself:

• Are we investing in skills and validations that align with emerging customer needs and industry trends?
• How many AWS certifications do we have relative to our team size?
• Do we have a documented process for onboarding and ongoing training?

Measuring Success: The strongest businesses have robust certification programs, clear onboarding systems, and industry recognitions like AWS Competencies or APN Ambassadors.

5. Document and Scale Your Business Operations (20%)

Behind every high-growth business is a system that makes success repeatable. For us, that system was what I call the “AWS Partner Flywheel.” It aligned our marketing, sales, and delivery teams into a cohesive process that kept everything running smoothly. Documenting these systems allowed us to scale efficiently and consistently deliver high-quality outcomes.

Sharing what you learn externally through blogs, videos, and speaking engagements is just as important. Thought leadership builds trust and demonstrates your expertise to potential customers.

Questions to ask yourself:

• Do our systems ensure scalability and enable us to share actionable thought leadership externally?
• Are we regularly sharing our expertise publicly (e.g., blogs, podcasts, open source, speaking, and videos)?
• How do we share best practices internally to improve as a team?

Measuring Success: High-performing businesses document processes and establish themselves as thought leaders. Success here reflects strong internal systems and external visibility.

Final Thoughts

Growing an AWS-focused business—or any business—requires clarity, focus, and consistent action. Regularly assess your strengths and gaps across these five areas, then take specific steps to improve.

This framework is designed to be actionable. Use it to evaluate where you stand, identify where to focus, and drive meaningful growth. If you’re looking to accelerate your results, download the AWS Partner Scoring Rubric Template or reach out for help. Growth isn’t about doing everything; it’s about doing the right things well.