I’ve been mostly hands-on in most of my roles in my career, and it stays that way even now! While I get to look at the larger picture and handle a lot more strategic and operational stuff now more than ever, blissfully, I somehow manage to get my hands dirty, and that keeps me going as a builder/creator/learner!
In one of the strategic programs of Esperia Studio, I interact with a product leader for one of our clients on a regular basis. We have managed to build a good rapport, and at times when there are no serious fires to fight, we talk about random stuff around product, tech and career in general. The other day was one of those days, and something interesting came up...
We were talking about ‘Partner Mindset’. A most sought-after mindset by customers! I understood from him that this is the most defining feature that defines success for a vendor at an enterprise level. Customers don’t look for vendors - they look for PARTNERS!
Partner Mode vs Consultant Mode
There are two ways to show up when you work with a customer.
Consultant mode: Say yes. Please the customer. Avoid friction. Deliver what’s asked. Keep them happy. Move on to the next project.
Partner mode: Be proactive. Push back when needed. Co-own the outcome. Think beyond the brief. Care about their business like it’s yours.
Most designers default to consultant mode. There are more reasons for it than you think...
The Consultancy Background Problem
I’ve spent the past 2 decades in consultancy firms - all huge ones! Worked with Fortune 100 enterprises - massive orgs, structured hierarchies and particularly clear vendor-client boundaries.
A natural outcome of being associated with such teams is that you learn to say yes. Even when you know the answer should be “actually, let’s think about this differently.”
That training runs deep (believe me!), and it becomes your most prominent feature. Switching suddenly to a ‘partner mode’ can be really hard.
Why Partner Mode Is Non-Negotiable for Small Agencies
At Esperia Studio, we don’t have a lot of luxuries I used to enjoy in my consulting career. We’re a small agency. No “account management layer” to hide behind. No army of consultants to absorb friction.
Every single interaction matters.
The way we talk in standups. How we handle customer requests. How do we plan deliverables? How we pitch ideas. How we navigate the inevitable politics of enterprise environments.
Partner mode becomes survival, rather than strategy!
What Partner Mode Actually Looks Like
It’s not about being difficult. It’s about being invested.
A partner understands the customer’s domain. Not surface-level understanding — deep, operational knowledge. What keeps their product leaders up at night? What metrics they’re measured on. What political dynamics are they navigating?
A partner earns trust. Not by saying yes to everything — by being transparent about reasoning. Sharing decision-making intelligence. Eventually, product leaders start accepting your strategic input because you’ve demonstrated you understand their world.
A partner navigates politics. Enterprise environments are messy. There are stakeholders with competing agendas. Turf wars. Legacy decisions that make no sense. Partners understand this landscape and know when to push and when to pause.
Assertiveness - The missing link
Apart from the usual attributes of a strong consultant - deep domain understanding, empathy towards the product leaders and strategic decision-making, there is something counterintuitive - Being Assertive!
Being more assertive makes clients trust you MORE, not less.
Challenge a customer’s bad idea to their face
Proactively suggest and build prototypes to show glimpses of the future often (this one has never been easier than now!)
Move from ‘Keep them happy’ to ‘Get the best outcome’
Above all, treat their product like your personal side project.
Co-own first ... rest shall follow!
The shift from consultant mode to partner mode might be the most important career transition you’ll ever make. It changes how clients see you. How do you see yourself? And ultimately, the kind of work you get to do.
Good luck 👋🏼.