Solanasis Referral Playbook — Clarifying Questions
Date: 2026-03-08 Purpose: Answer these before building the final referral playbook. How to use: Put your answer letter (and any notes) after each question. Save the file when done. Existing docs reviewed:
referrals/solanasis-referral-program-playbook-v1.1.md(detailed, AI-generated, 15%/20% founding model)solanasis_orb_pack_v2/17_Referral_Program.md(simple 2-tier, 10%/15%)Solanasis_Master_GTM_Playbook_2026.md§6 (Partnership & Referral Engine) + §19 (Professional Services Targeting)compiled_questionnaire_answers.md(Q15, Q27 — partnerships + referral incentive)Cyclical_GTM_Strategy_and_Smartcuts_Launch.md(timing, multiplier nodes)
Current State / Tensions
The existing docs don’t agree on key numbers:
| Doc | Network Rate | Partner Rate | Caps | Extras |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| v1.1 Playbook | — | 15% standard / 20% founding (first 10) | $2,500/client | $500 retainer bonus, 120-day deal protection |
| ORB Pack v2 #17 | 10% | 15% | 2,500 | Nonprofit donation option |
| GTM Playbook §6 | 10% | 15% | 2,500 | Nonprofit donation option |
The v1.1 playbook targets security/IT pros. The GTM playbook targets MSPs, CPAs, attorneys, insurance brokers, etc. These are quite different partner profiles with different motivations.
Questions
Q1. Partner tiers — how many levels?
v1.1 has one tier (with a founding boost). GTM/ORB Pack has two tiers (casual network vs. professional/MSP).
- A) Single tier — everyone gets the same rate (simpler to explain and manage)
- B) Two tiers — “Network” (anyone in your contacts) vs. “Professional Partner” (MSPs, CPAs, attorneys, etc.) with different rates
- C) Three tiers — Network / Professional Partner / Strategic Partner (co-delivery MSPs, compliance platform referrals)
- D) Something else (describe)
Answer: B — Two tiers. Network (10%, 2,500 cap, deal protection, signed agreement). Founding boost adds a third temporary level for early professional partners. Decided 2026-03-18 based on market research.
Q2. Commission rates — what feels right given your margins?
Your ORB is 12.5K. Example payouts at different rates on a $7,500 ORB:
| Rate | Payout |
|---|---|
| 10% | $750 |
| 15% | $1,125 |
| 20% | $1,500 |
- A) 10% flat for everyone (simple, lowest cost)
- B) 10% network / 15% professional partners (GTM playbook model)
- C) 15% standard / 20% founding partner first deal (v1.1 model — more generous, FOMO-driven)
- D) 15% flat for everyone (generous but simple)
- E) Different structure (describe)
Answer: A (modified) — 10% standard / 15% founding. On a 750, founding payout = $1,125. Still generous for intro-only (market is 5-10% for intros). Can always raise later; lowering is painful. Decided 2026-03-18.
Q3. Founding Partner boost — keep it?
v1.1 has “first 10 partners get 20% on their first closed referral.” Creates urgency/exclusivity but adds complexity.
- A) Yes, keep it — the exclusivity/urgency is worth the complexity
- B) No, skip it — keep it simple, one rate for all in each tier
- C) Modified — offer founding partners a non-monetary perk instead (e.g., priority co-marketing, featured on website, early access to new services)
Answer: A — Keep it. First 10 professional partners get 15% on first closed deal (vs. standard 10%). Creates urgency and rewards early bets. Decided 2026-03-18.
Q4. Payout caps — yes or no?
Caps protect your margin but can feel stingy. Example uncapped payouts:
| Deal Size | At 15% (uncapped) |
|---|---|
| $5,000 ORB | $750 |
| $12,500 ORB | $1,875 |
| $19,500 remediation | $2,925 |
- A) Keep caps (2,500 per tier) — protect the downside
- B) Remove caps — the deals aren’t big enough to blow up margins anyway
- C) Cap only the network tier, uncap professional partners
- D) Set a higher cap (e.g., 5,000) as a reasonable ceiling
Answer: A — Keep caps. 2,500 for professional/founding. Typical deals (12.5K) mean partners earn 1,250 at 10%. Cap only triggers on $25K+ deals. Revisit when deal sizes grow. Decided 2026-03-18.
Q5. Conversion bonus ($500 for retainer sign-up)?
v1.1 includes a $500 bonus if the referred client signs a recurring retainer within 60 days. This incentivizes partners to refer “sticky” clients, which drives MRR.
- A) Yes, include it — MRR is the goal, and $500 is cheap for a retainer client
- B) No, skip it — keep the program simpler at launch
- C) Modified — instead of $500 flat, pay a smaller ongoing % of the first 3 months of retainer revenue (e.g., 5%)
Answer: A — Keep the 500 is cheap for a retainer client. Aligns partner incentives with recurring revenue. Decided 2026-03-18.
Q6. Nonprofit donation alternative?
GTM playbook mentions “donate the same amount to a nonprofit instead of cash.” Nice brand signal, may appeal to some partners.
- A) Yes, always offer it as an option alongside cash
- B) No, just do cash — simpler
- C) Only for network-tier referrals (not professional partners who expect cash)
Answer: A — Always offer it as an option alongside cash. Nice brand signal, no extra cost. Decided 2026-03-18.
Q7. Deal protection / non-circumvention — how formal?
v1.1 has a 120-day deal protection window with formal registration. At zero clients, is this necessary now or premature process?
- A) Include it — partners (especially MSPs) won’t refer without knowing you won’t go around them. It’s a trust signal even at day zero.
- B) Skip formal deal protection for now — just operate with integrity, formalize later when volume warrants it
- C) Light version — “we won’t go around you” verbal/written commitment, no formal registration/tracking system yet
Answer: A — Include full deal protection from day one. MSPs and professional partners won’t refer without it. It’s a trust signal even at zero clients. 120 days, non-circumvention, milestone updates. Formalized in the signed Referral Partner Agreement. Decided 2026-03-18.
Q8. Who are the primary referral partners to activate FIRST?
You can’t chase all partner types at once. In months 1–3, where do you focus? (Pick up to 3 and rank them.)
- A) Personal/professional network — warm contacts first (friends, former colleagues, LinkedIn connections)
- B) MSPs in Colorado — natural symbiosis (you assess → they implement)
- C) Professional services firms (CPAs, attorneys, insurance brokers) — the “referral multiplier” play from GTM §19
- D) Security consultants / fractional CISOs — they see the problems firsthand
- E) Cyber insurance brokers specifically — identified as highest-leverage multiplier node in Cyclical GTM doc
- F) Healing centers / wellness practices — HIPAA wedge, already in your outreach plan
Answer (rank top 2–3): E, B, C — (1) Cyber insurance brokers as highest-leverage multiplier node, (2) MSPs in Colorado for natural symbiosis, (3) Professional services firms (CPAs, attorneys) for referral multiplier play. Decided 2026-03-18.
Q9. How do you want to LAUNCH this?
What’s the activation mechanism?
- A) Quiet/personal — DM 10–20 hand-picked people, send one-pager, start with founding group
- B) LinkedIn announcement — public post about the program, broader reach
- C) Blog post on solanasis.com — SEO-friendly, permanent landing page for the program
- D) Dedicated landing page on solanasis.com (not a blog post — a
/partnersor/referralspage) - E) Combination — specify order (e.g., “A first, then B+D a week later”)
Answer: E — A first (DM 10-20 hand-picked founding partner candidates), then C+D (blog post already published + /partners page already live). LinkedIn announcement after first 2-3 partners are onboarded with signed agreements. Decided 2026-03-18.
Q10. Tracking/tooling — what’s realistic right now?
v1.1 has full CRM fields, pipeline stages, quarterly payout cycles. What can you actually manage today?
- A) Baserow table (you already have it set up for CRM-like tracking)
- B) Notion table or spreadsheet — minimum viable, manual tracking
- C) Simple form (Tally/Typeform) for deal registration + spreadsheet for tracking
- D) Full CRM setup (HubSpot free tier or similar) — invest upfront for scalability
- E) Just email/DM for now — formalize tracking after the first 2–3 referrals come in
Answer: A — Baserow table (already used for pipeline tracking). Simple fields: partner name, tier, referral details, protection dates, commission status, payout status. Decided 2026-03-18.
Q11. Reciprocal referrals — should Solanasis refer back to partners?
If an MSP refers you a client, do you commit to referring implementation work back to them?
- A) Yes, explicitly — make it part of the pitch (“we assess, you implement, we refer back”)
- B) Informally — do it naturally but don’t make it a formal commitment
- C) No — keep it one-directional for now, revisit later
Answer: B — Do it informally. Refer implementation work back to MSP partners naturally but don’t make it a formal contractual commitment yet. Decided 2026-03-18.
Q12. Commission base — services only, or include remediation?
v1.1 says “first paid project, services only.” But what if the referred client skips the ORB and goes straight to a $19.5K remediation sprint? What’s commissionable?
- A) First paid project only (whatever it is — ORB, remediation, retainer month 1)
- B) First paid project + any follow-on work within 90 days
- C) Only the ORB / initial assessment — not remediation or retainer
- D) All revenue from that client for the first 12 months (aggressive but maximally motivating)
Answer: A — First paid project only. Simpler to track, lower exposure. The $500 retainer bonus already incentivizes sticky referrals. Trailing commissions add too much accounting overhead for a one-person operation. Decided 2026-03-18.
Q13. Legal formality — how buttoned-up?
- A) Handshake + one-pager terms (like v1.1 §5.3) — good enough for now, lawyer later
- B) Have an attorney draft a simple 1-page referral agreement before launching
- C) Full partner agreement (MSA + referral addendum) — do it right from the start
Answer: A (with upgrade path) — Start with a clean 1-page referral agreement adapted from Ivan Smirnov’s template. Created as solanasis-docs/legal/04_Referral_Partner_Agreement.md. Includes deal protection, non-circumvention, W-9 requirement, Colorado governing law. Have attorney review before first partner signs. Decided 2026-03-18.
After You Answer
Once these are filled in, the next step is building:
- Final Referral Playbook — single source of truth, replaces v1.1
- Partner One-Pager (PDF-ready) — what you send to potential partners
- Outreach scripts — DM, email, and LinkedIn templates tailored to each partner type
- Tracking setup — whatever you pick in Q10
- Launch sequence — week-by-week activation plan