All photography copyright Kai MacMahon

Working with agencies is not easy. They are complex and political animals, who are being pitched constantly from all sides by startups claiming to be the next big thing and face extraordinary pressure from their clients and competitors alike. Despite all that, however, they remain a critical factor in helping startups drive revenue, and like it or not they are integral to the way media is bought and sold around the world.

For software clients, the two most common use cases are a) Agency as direct customer, where the agency themselves is buying your product, and b) Agency's client as direct customer, where the agency is advising or running the evaluation. In both instances, it is critically important that your sales team works well with the agency. Even if an agency doesn’t have the power to sign or green light your deal, they will very often be able to derail it behind the scenes if you don’t have them on board.

For media clients, agency relationships are even more important. Having the right investment people on board with your offering so that you are part of the consideration set is key. Getting a piece of the pie that is not owned by one of the big two is not easy, but with the right strategy and execution, agency partnerships can drive huge revenue.