ChaosJockey – A Partner’s Perspective On WeTransact 

ChaosJockey provides expert consultancy on SaaS-readiness and interim project management for B2B Microsoft Partners looking to scale their Microsoft business through the Azure Marketplace. One of the digital tools in its kit is WeTransact. 

Founder – Mark Wiertsema – has been in the IT industry for more than 20 years. Before ChaosJockey, Mark headed up the Microsoft Azure Marketplace in Western Europe. His deep Azure expertise makes him the ideal choice for partners looking to modernize and monetize their offer on the marketplace.

Mark mainly works with service providers and ISVs. Here’s what a partnership with WeTransact brings to his offer of ‘SaaS as a service’.

“The fit was fantastic – right away. Now, all of our larger projects include a WeTransact subscription.” – Mark Wiertsema, Founder, ChaosJockey

Why ISVs need the Azure Marketplace

Often, one of the first conversations that Mark has with potential clients is why they need to be listed and transacting on the marketplace. There are two main reasons.

First, more and more businesses are procuring IT products and services in a digital way –  for example, through a Microsoft Azure Consumption Commitment (MACC). That means, ISVs need to show up where their customers are – on the Azure Marketplace.  

Second, Microsoft’s growing emphasis on marketplace transactions creates unique and powerful selling opportunities for Microsoft Partners. With thousands of ISVs out there, it’s not possible for Microsoft to partner with all of them, so the marketplace provides a way to automate ‘partnership’ in a meaningful way.

Demystifying the marketplace for newcomers

There are still many misconceptions about the marketplace. Part of Mark’s role is to demystify and surface the value of getting listed and transacting for service providers and ISVs.

Microsoft Partners not yet listed and transacting on the marketplace are missing out on a profitable revenue stream. But for established ISVs and service providers – without expert insights –  it can be a steep learning curve in terms of how to restructure operations around this new business model, and how different functions can contribute to marketplace success. 

This perceived complexity is one of the barriers to companies joining the marketplace. The way the marketplace works has a direct impact on financial processes, international taxation, and currency conversions. The challenge comes in aligning these requirements with existing ways of working inside an organization. On top of that, there’s offer creation, the ordering process, and – more generally – a different sales approach. 

Facilitating Azure Marketplace adoption

Mark prefers a more hands-on approach to consultancy. ISVs tend to fall into one of two groups. The first group has a turnover of up to €10 million, and he helps them to identify how WeTransact can support their marketplace journey and activities. The second group of larger ISVs – those with turnover in excess of €10 million – often need deeper consultancy. 

Mark’s involvement extends to internal marketplace adoption and encompasses sales processes, finances, and taxation. He helps them to understand what Azure Marketplace is, how it works, and how to change their current processes to fit the marketplace model. That includes training to execute redesigned processes, both internally and commercially.

How a WeTransact partnership adds value

“It’s not just the software that helps. It’s also the customer success people at WeTransact.” – Mark Wiertsema, Founder, ChaosJockey

WeTransact has perfected a flexible yet standardized solution – in both the software and the approach – which is not only helpful but efficient. ChaosJockey’s clients save a lot of time and effort, especially on the development side, where they don’t have to work on the integrations with the Microsoft platform.

Partners also get expert support with structuring and publishing offers so that they fit both the requirements of the platform and their customers’ requirements. This can be one of the biggest barriers to transacting on the marketplace, but WeTransact helps make light work of it. Whilst not a legal or taxation specialist, it helps partners navigate the documentation in the right way, so they can ensure compliance. 

WeTransact makes doing business on the Microsoft Azure Marketplace much easier, faster, and impactful for partners like ChaosJockey, and its clients – ISVs and service providers. 

Are you a Microsoft Partner? Discover how ChaosJockey and WeTransact help you bring your B2B SaaS offer to the Azure Marketplace. Contact Us.