In this episode, Nancy Harnett, Head of HubSpot’s Affiliate Marketing Program, shares how they transformed their strategy to achieve 2x ROI. By shifting from a broad partnership model to a highly personalized, one-on-one approach, HubSpot was able to build stronger collaborations and drive better performance. She highlights the importance of prioritizing key partners, offering tailored support, and using data-driven testing and rapid iteration to optimize the program. Instead of flat-fee structures, HubSpot focuses on performance-based incentives and treats partnerships as strategic investments, similar to marketing or HR functions. Nancy also discusses the company’s powerful tech stack, including HubSpot CRM, Impact, PartnerStack, and AI tools, while emphasizing the need for compliance, fraud prevention, and a customer-centric approach. She explores underutilized partner opportunities, outlines a realistic one-year timeline for building a successful affiliate program, and shares valuable book recommendations such as Nudge and Atomic Habits.
What is Always Be Testing?
Always Be Testing explores the experiments, insights, and growth stories shaping the future of affiliate and partner marketing in B2B SaaS. Hosted by industry veterans, the show dives deep into real-world lessons from the people driving measurable impact at companies like Google, HubSpot, Ramp, Webflow, G2, and beyond.
Each episode uncovers what happens when today's most innovative marketers challenge assumptions, run smarter experiments, and build programs that scale revenue through meaningful partnerships. If you’re in affiliate, partnerships, or SaaS growth — this is your front-row seat to how the best do it (and what they’ve learned along the way