Building Vercel's AWS Co-Sell Engine
One Partner-Originated Deal. A Repeatable FSI Motion.
“This is not a product pitch. This is how I'd build your co-sell engine.”
The Vercel × AWS Partnership Thesis
Vercel is not just an AWS Marketplace listing — it is structurally built on AWS.
Infrastructure Reality
Vercel's entire platform runs on Lambda, CloudFront, CloudWatch, VPC, and S3. Every new Vercel enterprise customer is an incremental AWS customer.
AI Layer
Vercel's AI Gateway routes to AWS Bedrock as a first-class provider. The AI SDK ships a native @ai-sdk/amazon-bedrock package. When Vercel wins AI-native enterprise deals, Bedrock consumption follows.
The BYOC Unlock
Vercel Secure Compute BYOC runs inside the customer's own AWS VPC. For regulated industries like FSI, this converts a 12-month vendor security review into a 90-day workload approval.
The PSM Role
Make the AWS-Vercel revenue linkage visible to AWS AEs, activate programs that incentivize them to push, and create a co-sell motion they want to repeat.
“Every Vercel BYOC deal makes AWS bigger. My job is to make sure AWS sellers know that — and are paid to act on it.”
Why Ally Financial, Why Now
A Partner Originated deal — I identified Ally before AWS brought it to me. The signals were public.
Ally.ai is Bedrock-dependent
Public announcement confirmed AWS Bedrock as model provider for their enterprise AI platform covering 10,000+ employees. The web delivery layer has no equivalent governance framework — that's the gap Vercel fills.
Engineering posture is Vercel-ready
Active job postings for 'Lead: Self-hosted AI Agent Platform on AWS' and Senior React Native developers. LaunchDarkly usage confirmed. Modern developer-led engineering org.
Digital-native means performance is existential
America's largest all-digital bank. Zero physical branches. A 100ms latency increase costs measurable conversion on deposits, auto loans, and investment accounts.
AWS footprint and EDP commitment exists
Established Enterprise Discount Program commitment. A Marketplace Private Offer routes through existing procurement infrastructure — no new vendor queue, no new legal review cycle.
Key Personas
Time-to-production, AI strategy, talent retention
Release velocity, preview deployments, experimentation
Core Web Vitals, conversion optimization, latency impact
Developer experience, CI/CD tooling, platform decisions
VPC peering, data residency, BYOC architecture
Cost efficiency, vendor consolidation, compliance alignment
“I didn't wait for the PDM to call me. I found this account. The Ally.ai press release told me everything I needed to know. That's what a PO deal looks like.”
How I Originated & Structured the Deal
Four specific, deliberate moves before the first Ally meeting. Each one mattered. The sequence mattered.
Briefed the Vercel AE First
Aligned internally before going to AWS or Slalom. Walked the AE through the Ally.ai-to-Vercel fit, BYOC procurement angle, 90-day close thesis. Divided ownership cleanly: I own AWS and SI coordination. The AE owns the commercial relationship.
Evaluated and Activated Slalom — Deliberately
Slalom: AWS Premier Consulting Partner with dedicated FSI banking vertical practice and existing executive-level relationship inside Ally's technology organization. Their AWS Competency Designations unlock $10K–$75K in MDF to fund the proof-of-value workshop. They had the delivery credibility and the Ally access.
Slalom earns services revenue. I earn the co-sell credit.
Registered the ACE Opportunity
Tagged: FSI vertical, Charlotte region, Bedrock dependency. Mapped four AWS roles: FSI Account Executive, Partner Development Manager, Solutions Architect, FSI Industry Specialist. Requested joint account planning before first Ally meeting.
Set the Co-Sell Rules of Engagement
Explicit written agreement with AWS FSI AE: This is a PO deal — Vercel leads the narrative. AWS amplifies with technical credibility and executive access. Slalom delivers. No mixed signals to the customer.
“I chose Slalom deliberately because they already had Ally's trust. That's the PSM judgment call that determines whether this deal closes in 90 days or 9 months.”
The Co-Sell Motion: 90-Day Deal Cycle
I own the thread. At every stage, the PSM is the conductor, not a passenger.
Signal & Register
- Register PO opportunity in ACE, tag FSI vertical and Charlotte region
- Request joint account planning with AWS FSI AE and SA
- Brief Slalom FSI practice lead, confirm Ally relationship
Whiteboard & Map
- Co-facilitate discovery with AWS SA
- Map Ally's tech footprint, AWS presence, EDP commitment
- Produce: technology baseline doc, stakeholder map, program stacking recommendation
POV Workshop
- Brief Slalom on POV scope: Secure Compute in VPC, Fluid Compute cost model, AI Gateway
- Coordinate AWS SA to co-present architecture
- CISO gets 'AWS-approved' signal
Business Case
- Own the business case narrative
- Fluid Compute: 85%+ Lambda reduction visible in Cost Explorer by Day 30
- Draft Marketplace Private Offer terms
Executive Alignment
- Orchestrate EBR: Vercel AE + AWS PDM + me presenting to CTO, CFO, CISO
- Coordinate AWS FSI VP executive sponsorship
- Own program stack slide and Marketplace close path
Close & Kickoff
- Finalize Marketplace Private Offer: custom EULA, pricing, SLAs
- Coordinate WMP credit disbursement
- Register closed-won, request joint post-deal debrief
“Getting the program sequence wrong leaves money on the table and slows the deal. I don't leave money on the table.”
Product Fit & Program Stack
Product fluency and program fluency together close regulated enterprise deals.
BYOC / Secure Compute
CriticalThe single most important capability for FSI. Ally's security team approves a workload inside their own VPC. Cuts review cycle from 12 months to 90 days.
Fluid Compute
HighBanking API calls spend 80-90% of Lambda time waiting on I/O. Active CPU pricing means they pay only for active execution. 85%+ cost reduction visible in AWS Cost Explorer by Day 30.
CI/CD + Preview Deployments
MediumComplements LaunchDarkly — every PR gets a production-identical preview URL for compliance review before merge. Makes CAB process faster and more thorough.
AI Gateway + AI SDK
HighAlly.ai handles internal AI governance. AI Gateway is the web-layer equivalent for customer-facing AI — unified routing to Bedrock with PII controls.
Observability
MediumAll Vercel telemetry pipes into Ally's CloudWatch via OpenTelemetry. Single pane across all AWS workloads. Eliminates manual evidence-gathering for FCA/SEC audits.
BotID + Bot Management
HighInvisible behavioral signal analysis for credential stuffing protection. Zero user friction. Every blocked bot also reduces Lambda and Bedrock invocations.
Program Sequence
ISV Accelerate
ACE registered, AWS AE incentivized
Innovation Sandbox
$100K build credits
POC + MDF
$25K-$75K + Slalom MDF
WMP Credits
Direct to Ally CFO
GenAI Production Ready
15% Y1 ARR or $100K
Marketplace Private Offer
Custom EULA, fast close
BOX Program
$45K joint solution
Partner Greenfield
$350K over 3 years
“Getting the program sequence wrong leaves money on the table. Ally's CFO hears the cost objection resolved before the legal review even starts.”
Building the Repeatable Motion
A Partner Manager who closes one deal and moves on is not valuable. What's valuable is turning that one deal into a machine.
FSI Reference Architecture
Publish Ally BYOC deployment as joint Vercel + AWS reference architecture in Partner Central. Present at AWS FSI Vertical Summit. Every subsequent FSI deal starts at week two.
AWS Seller Qualification Guide
Single-page 'when to bring Vercel in' document for every FSI selling pod. Five trigger signals: React/Next.js, monthly release cycles, active Bedrock, FSI data residency, LaunchDarkly usage. If 3/5 match — call me.
'Vercel in 30' AE Enablement
30-minute walkthroughs for each AWS FSI selling pod, every quarter. Not a product pitch — a deal pattern walkthrough. Show sellers how to make money.
SI Network Expansion
Slalom partnership as primary distribution channel. Leverage their FSI banking vertical practice and AWS Premier status to scale from one deal into a repeatable motion. Slalom earnings unlock joint GTM investment.
BOX Application
Vercel + Slalom jointly apply for Business Outcomes Xcelerator — $45K to productize 'Vercel BYOC on AWS for Digital Banking' joint solution.
Partner Greenfield Program
With Ally reference, apply for PGP — a 3-year SCA with $350K in combined headcount, GTM, and performance-based funding. Formalizes FSI vertical build.
“Slalom is the distribution channel that scales this from a single deal win into a repeatable motion. One partnership. One focus. That's the difference between a deal and a motion.”
One Deal, Three Winners,
A Vertical Unlocked
Ally
- 90-day deployment
- 85%+ Lambda savings
- 4x feature velocity
- Unified AI governance
AWS
- EDP consumption uplift
- ISV Accelerate win
- Named FSI reference
- Field enablement asset
Vercel
- Strategic FSI reference
- Enterprise BYOC ARR
- SI multiplier effect
- AO pipeline unlocked
Expansion Already Scoped
Mortgage portal — milliseconds of latency directly impact application completion rates
Trading platform — real-time market data, AI-assisted portfolio analysis
Dealer-facing platform — extends BYOC across full digital surface area
The PO-to-AO Flip
This deal started as a Partner Originated opportunity because I identified Ally before AWS did. It ends with AWS leadership requesting joint account mapping because the motion proved itself. That's the flywheel. That's what I'd build for Vercel.
“The deal started PO because I identified it. It ends AO because the motion proved itself. That's the arc I'd build for Vercel.”
Not in 18 months. From Day 1.