Building Trackly: testing partner-led growth as a SaaS channel
One thing we’ve learned while building Trackly is that distribution can be just as challenging as product development.
So we’re experimenting with a partner-led growth model.
We’re looking to connect with people who already work with growing businesses, HR consultants, recruiters, agencies, B2B consultants, and SaaS professionals.
The model is simple:
→ Refer a business that needs workforce management
→ If they become a Trackly customer, you earn 20% recurring revenue every month
→ You continue earning for as long as they remain a customer
But we’re also trying to understand something beyond the commission:
What actually makes a partner refer their first customer? And what makes them keep referring?
Is it the commission?
Ease of referral?
Product-market fit with their audience?
Or simply making the referral process frictionless?
We're still early and testing.
If you've built a SaaS partner/referral program, what worked for you, and what didn't?
And if you're interested in exploring the partner program, comment below and I'll share the details.
20% commission isn't what drives the first referral—reputation protection does. HR consultants and agencies won't risk a client relationship for a cut unless they know the tool makes them look good.
To trigger that initial referral, focus on removing risk:
Client discounts: Give partners an exclusive perk so recommending Trackly feels like a value-add, not a sales pitch.
Done-for-you enablement: Supply 1-page cheat sheets and email scripts so they don't have to figure out how to pitch it.
Concierge onboarding: Handle the setup for their first few clients directly to eliminate friction.
The commission keeps them engaged long-term, but zero reputation risk gets them to take the first leap. How are you enabling them to pitch it right now?
The commission is definitely an incentive, but I think the biggest driver for the first referral is how easy it is for the partner to confidently recommend the product.
If the partner can clearly explain who Trackly is for, what problem it solves, and why it's better than the alternatives in 30 seconds, referrals become much easier.
The recurring 20% is a strong motivator for keeping partners engaged. I’d also experiment with a simple referral flow + partner dashboard so the whole process feels frictionless.
Curious to see how this experiment performs especially which factor ends up driving the first referral.
Really good point, Jasim. I completely agree that making the referral process simple and transparent is key.
That’s actually something we’ve focused on with the Partner Program. Each partner gets a unique referral link and dashboard, where they can add/refer companies and track the companies they’ve referred, so everything stays transparent in one place.