Dan Caldwell on scaling Klaviyo’s Tech Partner Ecosystem

In the world of e-commerce technology, few platforms have scaled as aggressively or effectively as Klaviyo.

With over 183,000 brands relying on its AI-powered marketing automation for email and SMS, the company has turned its technology partner ecosystem into a powerful growth engine.

Leading that effort is Dan Caldwell, Team Lead of Technology Partnerships at Klaviyo.

In a candid, tactical conversation on the Partnership Mastermind podcast host Chris Lavoie sat down with Caldwell to unpack exactly how Klaviyo evolved its tech partner motion from early-stage scrappiness into a mature, scalable global function.

The discussion—titled “Dan Caldwell on Scaling Klaviyo’s Tech Partner Ecosystem”—delivers a blueprint for any platform or SaaS company looking to build a marketplace that actually drives mutual value at scale.

From Hundreds of Inbound Integrations to Strategic Prioritization

Early on, Klaviyo’s partnerships were opportunistic. Today, the team fields hundreds of inbound integration requests. Caldwell described the shift:

“Now we have hundreds of integrations inbound. And so, it’s been this process of creating process to manage those folks at scale, but then hey, you still can’t do everything at scale. So then just clearly outlining what are your goals? What are we trying to do? That outline to the topline missions of this company center around those. And hey, what are those partners, the subset of partners, a limited amount that really help you hit those goals and how do we double down on that?”

Klaviyo’s 2025–2026 priorities—AI innovation, expansion beyond marketing into service and analytics, and accelerated growth in EMEA and APAC—now serve as the north star for partner selection. The company backs this with a formal K:Partners Technology Program, complete with:

• Self-service developer portal and OAuth app builder
• App Marketplace listing process
• Tiered benefits that unlock co-marketing, early API access, and strategic collaboration as adoption grows
• The Partner Demand Center for on-demand GTM assets and enablement

The Data-Backed “Standout” Partner Signal Most People Miss

Caldwell is refreshingly blunt about what catches his attention amid the flood of polished pitches:

“What sells me on this stuff… is data-backed… showing like a before and after and an AB test… incremental lift… It’s very rare that I see incremental lift and/or feedback from customers on that incremental lift.”

Vanity metrics (installs, basic revenue attribution) are table stakes. Real differentiation comes from partners who can prove they move the needle for Klaviyo customers—often through controlled experiments or customer testimonials tied to measurable business outcomes.

The first 90 days are make-or-break. Klaviyo tracks install velocity, customer segment fit, and early optimization signals to decide where to invest deeper enablement resources.

Why Traditional Referrals Don’t Scale—And How AI Changes the Game

One of the most practical sections of the episode tackled the referral trap that sinks many partner programs:

“There are exceptions… tends to be more in the enterprise space or executive relationship… but at scale… it’s having like a long-term plan for the partnership.”

Asking sales or CS teams for customer intros too early is the #1 “ick” that kills internal trust. Instead, Caldwell advocates building upstream/downstream symmetry—ensuring value flows both ways—so referrals feel natural rather than forced.

Here’s where 2026 technology is making a difference. Caldwell highlighted how AI (paired with tools like Gong) is finally making referrals predictable and scalable:

• Surface which customers have specific pain points
• Match them to the exact partner solution
• Identify the right account owner
• Flag the right moment to engage

“Long gone are the days of hunting through calls and hoping you spot opportunities… Automated, accurate and actionable.”

The mantra: “Automate the 1,000 tasks. Personally validate the 10.”

Enablement That Actually Gets Used

Caldwell stressed that most enablement fails because it stops at “install the integration.” Effective programs guide partners through the full journey:

1. Install – Make it frictionless
2. Set up – Provide clear configuration guidance
3. Optimize – Deliver playbooks that drive measurable lift

Klaviyo’s Partner Portal and Demand Center were built explicitly for this progression, giving partners self-serve assets while the internal team focuses on high-touch support for tier-one integrations.

Practical Advice for Partnership Leaders Everywhere

Caldwell’s hard-won lessons for anyone scaling a tech partner ecosystem:

• Qualify ruthlessly using an intake form + data signals, then double down on the subset aligned with company priorities.
• Never burn internal trust by pushing premature referrals—prove value first.
• Build enablement for outcomes, not just technical integration.
• Use AI as a multiplier, not a replacement for human judgment on high-stakes opportunities.
• Measure what matters: incremental customer lift, not just install counts.

As Klaviyo continues its explosive growth trajectory, its tech partner ecosystem has become a competitive moat—making the platform more valuable with every high-quality integration.

For partnership professionals, agency leaders, or marketplace builders, the full 54-minute episode is essential listening. Dan Caldwell doesn’t just talk theory—he shares the exact frameworks, red flags, and playbooks that turned Klaviyo’s partner motion into a scalable, trust-based growth engine.