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Partners & Affiliates

Refer a client.
Earn 10–15%.

Studios pays referral commissions to agencies, consultants, fractional executives, and technology partners who send qualified clients. 10% on first engagement, 15% recurring on retainers — paid for the full duration of the engagement.

Apply to partner program See commission tiers
// Partner Commission
Example payout.
$3,750
15% × $25K · MONTH 1
// SCENARIO
Referred client signs AI Compliance Setup at $25,000
// IF CLIENT CONTINUES
Retainer at $18K/mo → $2,700/mo recurring
// Net-30 payment ● ACTIVE PROGRAM
01 / Who Partners with Studios

Four kinds of partner.

Studios partners share one trait: their clients face AI questions they're not equipped to deliver in-house. Referring to Studios protects the client relationship, fills the capability gap, and earns commission on the engagement.

// PARTNER 01

Boutique agencies

Marketing, brand, web, or product agencies whose clients increasingly ask for AI integrations the agency doesn't build in-house. Refer to Studios for the AI portion, retain ownership of the core relationship.

  • Brand and creative agencies
  • Web development and product studios
  • Marketing automation consultancies
  • Performance marketing agencies
// BEST FIT: Agencies $1M–$10M revenue
// PARTNER 02

Independent consultants

Solo strategy consultants, business advisors, and management consultants whose clients want AI implementation following the strategy work. You stay focused on advisory; Studios handles execution.

  • Management consultants
  • Business strategy advisors
  • Operations and process consultants
  • Digital transformation specialists
// BEST FIT: Consultants with 5+ active accounts
// PARTNER 03

Fractional executives

Fractional CTOs, CIOs, CMOs, and COOs embedded in client organizations. When AI implementation is in scope but execution capacity isn't, refer to Studios as your build arm. You stay strategic; Studios builds.

  • Fractional CTOs and CIOs
  • Fractional CMOs and CROs
  • Fractional COOs and CFOs
  • Interim executive advisors
// BEST FIT: Fractionals with 3+ concurrent clients
// PARTNER 04

Technology partners

SaaS companies, system integrators, and platform providers whose customers need custom AI integrations with the partner's product. Refer the AI work to Studios, share the win on the broader account.

  • SaaS platforms and developer tools
  • Salesforce, HubSpot, and CRM partners
  • System integrators and resellers
  • API and integration platforms
// BEST FIT: Established channel programs
02 / Commission Structure

Three partner tiers.
Performance-based advancement.

All partners enter at Referral Partner tier. Tier advancement is based on closed deal volume over a rolling 12 months. Higher tiers earn higher recurring commission rates and co-marketing access.

// TIER 01 — ENTRY
Referral Partner
10%of first engagement
5% RECURRING ON RETAINERS · 12 MONTHS
  • 10% on first engagement Paid on collected revenue from any productized service or custom engagement.
  • 5% on retainer months 2-12 Recurring commission on Fractional AI CTO and Studios retainer revenue.
  • Partner portal access Unique referral tracking, deal status, and payout history.
  • Quarterly partner enablement Group webinars on Studios services and how to position them.
// TIER 02 — STANDARD
Certified Partner
12%of first engagement
10% RECURRING ON RETAINERS · 12 MONTHS
  • Everything in Referral Partner Higher commission rate on all new referrals.
  • 12% on first engagement Upgraded rate after $25K+ in referred revenue closed in trailing 12 months.
  • 10% recurring on retainers Doubled recurring rate on Fractional AI CTO and retainer revenue.
  • Co-branded materials Studios sales decks and one-pagers branded with your firm.
  • Partner directory listing Featured in Studios partner directory with backlink.
// TIER 03 — STRATEGIC
Strategic Partner
15%of first engagement
15% RECURRING ON RETAINERS · FULL DURATION
  • Everything in Certified Partner Top commission rates plus strategic relationship benefits.
  • 15% on first engagement After $100K+ in referred revenue closed in trailing 12 months.
  • 15% recurring for full retainer life No 12-month cap on retainer commissions — paid as long as the client retainer is active.
  • Joint go-to-market Co-hosted events, joint case studies, executive introductions.
  • Priority engagement scheduling Your referrals jump the standard intake queue.
03 / How the Program Works

From referral to payout.

A predictable, transparent flow. You make the introduction, Studios runs the engagement, you get paid on collected revenue. No client-management overhead — Studios owns the relationship end-to-end after introduction.

// STEP 01
01

Apply & enroll

5-minute partner application. Approval within 48 hours. You receive a unique partner portal login with referral tracking links and a welcome packet covering Studios services in detail.

// STEP 02
02

Make the intro

When you spot an AI need with a client, introduce them to Studios — email, partner portal form, or warm Slack/LinkedIn intro. Tag the referral against your partner ID for tracking. We acknowledge within one business day.

// STEP 03
03

Studios runs the deal

Studios handles discovery, scoping, SOW, and delivery. You stay informed via partner portal updates but are not required to participate. Optional: you can co-sit in discovery if you want continuity with the client.

// STEP 04
04

Commission paid

Studios invoices the client. Once Studios collects payment, your commission is calculated and paid net-30 via ACH, wire, or check. Recurring retainer commissions paid monthly as collected. Full transparency in partner portal.

04 / What Partners Get

Beyond the commission.

The commission is the headline benefit, but partners get a fuller toolkit for positioning AI work to their clients without staffing it internally. Use what's useful, ignore what isn't.

$

Transparent tracking

Real-time partner portal with every referral, deal status, expected payout date, and historical commission ledger. No black box, no quarterly mystery payments — you see what's owed at all times.

▤

Sales enablement

Pre-built Studios pitch decks, one-pagers, sample SOWs, and pricing sheets you can share with clients. Vertical-tailored variants (financial services, nonprofit, education) for Certified and Strategic tier partners.

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Partner support

Direct Slack channel access to the Studios partner team for deal-specific questions, technical scoping help, and pricing approvals on complex referrals. Same-day response during business hours.

→

Referral protection

180-day attribution window from first introduction. If a referred client signs within 180 days of your introduction, the commission is yours — even if Studios's own outbound reaches them in the interim. We protect partner attribution by default.

05 / Who to Refer

The best referrals.
And the worst.

Studios closes about 60% of qualified inbound referrals. The closing rate is highest when the client fits the profile below and the timing is right.

// IDEAL REFERRALS

Refer clients who...

  • Have $5M+ revenue or institutional budget Studios pricing starts at $7,500 and most engagements land at $25K–$100K. Companies below $1M revenue rarely make sense.
  • Have a specific AI use case in mind "Customer support copilot," "internal RAG system," "AI-powered grant search" — concrete use cases close 3x faster than exploratory ones.
  • Have executive sponsorship CEO, CTO, CMO, or VP sponsoring. Middle-management champions often stall when budget approval enters the picture.
  • Have realistic timeline expectations 3-6 months from intro to launch is realistic. "We need this live in 2 weeks" rarely works for custom builds.
  • Are open to fixed-scope productized services Studios productized services close faster than custom engagements. Clients who value predictability over endless customization fit.
// AVOID REFERRING

Don't refer clients who...

  • Are still in "should we do AI?" mode If they haven't decided AI matters yet, Studios will likely recommend they wait — no commission earned. Wait until their internal mandate exists.
  • Want surveillance, defense, or predatory use cases Studios refuses these engagements per Mission Page commitments. Even legitimate-sounding adjacent use cases (mass surveillance, autonomous weapons, predatory lending) are auto-decline.
  • Want to negotiate productized pricing Fixed-price means fixed — clients who want $7,500 services discounted to $4,500 burn intro cycles for no close.
  • Have unrealistic expectations of AI "AI will replace our entire workforce," "AI never makes mistakes," "We want sentient AI." These conversations end in mutual frustration.
  • Are looking for the lowest-cost vendor Studios is not cheap. If price is the only criterion, point them elsewhere — we won't win and the introduction wastes goodwill.
// Apply Now

Apply to the
Studios Partner Program.

Five-minute application. Approval within 48 hours. You'll receive partner portal access, the welcome packet covering all Studios services in detail, and your unique referral tracking link.

No quota, no commitment, no exclusivity. Refer one client a year or twenty — your call. We pay on every closed deal regardless of volume.

Email the partner team
// Application time 5 min
// Approval window 48 hr
// Entry tier commission 10%
// Attribution window 180 days
// Payment terms Net-30
06 / Partner FAQ

Common questions.

The questions partners ask after they've decided to apply. Honest answers — including the unflattering ones.

Commission is earned when Studios collects payment from the referred client — not when the contract is signed. For fixed-fee engagements (most productized services), Studios invoices 50% on signature and 50% on delivery. Your commission is paid net-30 after each collection — so a typical $25K engagement pays out in two installments roughly 30 and 90 days from contract signing. For retainer engagements, commission pays monthly as Studios collects. Payment via ACH, wire, or check at your preference.
Commission tracks collected revenue. If the client cancels after Studios collected the 50% deposit, you've already been paid commission on that deposit. If the client cancels before paying the balance, no commission is owed on the unpaid portion. We don't claw back commission that's already been paid out — what's yours is yours. For retainer engagements, commission stops when the client retainer stops.
Yes. Many of our best partners are also clients — they've experienced the Studios delivery quality firsthand and refer with confidence. Your own engagement with Studios is treated separately from any referral activity. Partner commissions are paid only on referrals you bring in (not on your own engagements with us). There's no conflict of interest concern as long as you disclose your partner status when referring clients.
First introduction wins. Whoever first introduces the client to Studios (with the client's knowledge and consent) holds attribution for 180 days. If a second partner tries to introduce the same client within that window, the original attribution stands. After 180 days without progress, attribution lapses and either partner can re-introduce. In rare cases where two partners genuinely engaged a client independently and Studios learns of this late, we'll work out a split based on relative contribution — but it's an exception, not the norm.
No. Studios pays international partners. You'll need to provide tax documentation appropriate to your jurisdiction (W-8BEN for individuals, W-8BEN-E for entities outside the US). Payment via international wire transfer is standard for non-US partners — currency conversion at Studios' bank's published rate. Your referred clients can be US-based or international.
Studios serves clients from venture-backed startups through Fortune 1000. The minimum economic fit is roughly $5M annual revenue for businesses or $1M annual budget for nonprofits — below that, Studios pricing is rarely a fit. The sweet spot is $10M–$500M revenue companies with executive sponsorship for AI implementation. For HBCUs and 501(c)(3) nonprofits, special pricing applies and the size criteria are looser — refer with confidence.
No. You can simultaneously refer to Studios and to other AI service providers, agencies, or platforms — no exclusivity. We don't ask you to commit to Studios as your sole referral relationship. Many of our partners maintain relationships with multiple AI vendors and refer based on each client's specific fit. We compete on quality of delivery, not contractual lock-in.
Tier advancement is automatic based on closed referred revenue in the trailing 12 months. When you cross the threshold ($25K for Certified, $100K for Strategic), Studios contacts you within one business day, executes a partner addendum confirming the new tier and rates, and updates your portal access. New tier commission rates apply to new referrals signed after tier advancement — existing engagements continue at the rate that applied when they signed.

Start earning on
introductions you'd make anyway.

Your clients have AI questions. We answer them — and you earn 10–15% on the engagements that result. Five-minute application, 48-hour approval, lifetime commission attribution.

Apply to partner program Have questions first?