Ep#37 Channel Surfing Rough Seas Lead to Great Sales & Partner Teams with Scott Strubel

🎙️ What does it really take to lead in the channel for over five decades?

In this episode of The Channel Surfers, Jeff and John sit down with global channel legend Scott Strubel—former HP executive, author of "Simple But Hard", and a seasoned leader who’s scaled channel ecosystems across companies like NetApp, Darktrace, Commvault, and SmartSheet.

From the earliest days of the PC revolution to today’s AI-driven GTM strategies, Scott shares battle-tested insights on:

🎯 What it actually means to build a partner-first culture (and why most companies get it wrong)
🔁 Why AI adoption must move beyond the buzzword and into real product value
💥 How hyperscaler marketplaces are reshaping partner engagement and distribution
🧠 Lessons from launching billion-dollar businesses—and what still applies today
🚫 Why “opportunistic partnering” kills trust and stalls growth

He also opens up about his book, Simple But Hard, the power of work ethic, and the often-overlooked human side of channel leadership.

📕 Whether you're in sales, alliances, partnerships, or leadership, this is a can't-miss episode packed with wisdom, humor, and real stories from the trenches.

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Scott Strubel, channel partnerships, partner-first strategy, AI in sales, distribution strategy, Simple But Hard book, channel leadership