Inside the Salesforce Ecosystem Episode 18 with Bijal Solanki, Co-Founder & Managing Director at Cloud Alliances Group

In episode 18 of our podcast, we’re joined by Bijal Solanki, co-founder and managing director at Cloud Alliances Group. 

Bijal spent over 10 years at Salesforce, working across sales, go-to-market, and partnerships. He also led partner strategy for Salesforce in the APAC region. Today, through Cloud Alliances, he helps ISVs and partners grow their presence across APAC and EMEA. 

This conversation focused on what really drives growth in the Salesforce ecosystem. 

If you would like to watch or listen to the full episode, you can tune in using the link below. 

Starting at Salesforce 

Bijal joined Salesforce in 2012 in Sydney, Australia. At that time, Salesforce looked very different. There was far less complexity than today.  

“When I joined, there were less than 100 people. There was just Sales Cloud. There was nothing else. So I think I’ve lost count now of how many clouds there are.” Bijal recalls those times. 

Over the years, he saw the platform expand, the product suite grow, and the partner ecosystem become much larger and more structured. 

Working across sales and partnerships gave him a clear view of how the ecosystem operates from the inside. That experience now shapes how he advises partners and ISVs. 

Why Cloud Alliances Was Created 

Cloud Alliances was created to solve a specific structural problem in the ecosystem. 

As Bijal explains, “Larger SIs and ISVs have resources and funding and budget to hire specific roles like alliances as Capex. But that model is only catering to maybe the top 10–15% of the ecosystem. Everyone else is left trying to make it work internally, where the alliance and go-to-market function are often handled by the head of delivery, head of sales, and head of marketing with no unified approach to this.” 

That gap became the opportunity. 

Alongside Joe Tan and Phil Presnell, the idea quickly took shape. “The three of us… had this idea about what this offering could look like… got together, had a few beers, and got on the whiteboard.” 

What they built was focused and practical. The team focuses on matching the right ISVs with the right partners based on real market fit, relationships, and industry understanding. 

Instead of broad, unfocused outreach, the goal is to filter the ecosystem, create structured go-to-market strategies, and give smaller and growing partners access to experienced alliance leadership without needing to hire it internally. 

Rather than pushing volume, Cloud Alliances concentrates on alignment. 

Why ANZ Region Is So Strong 

Bijal also shared perspective on the Australia and New Zealand (ANZ) region. 

Despite having a relatively small population, Australia and New Zealand generate significant Salesforce revenue. Technology adoption is strong. Businesses are commercially driven. The market moves fast. 

Using a boxing analogy, he said, “Pound for pound, ANZ is probably one of the top two or three regions for Salesforce globally. Despite a population of just over 30 odd million, it is a high revenue -yielding region for Salesforce.” 

For companies looking to expand into APAC, he believes Australia is often a strong starting point. 

Differentiation Matters 

Bijal was very direct about differentiation. 

If you are just another Gold Partner with certifications, you blend in. There are hundreds of AEs in a region. You cannot realistically build deep relationships with all of them. 

Instead, he recommends narrowing your focus. 

Focus on a specific industry. Even better, a subindustry. When you do that, you reduce your universe from hundreds of people to a focused group that actually cares about what you do. 

Start Small and Grow 

Another strong message from the episode was to start focused. 

Do not try to target every industry at once. Open the door in one industry. Build credibility. Then expand. 

This creates traction. It builds trust. It gives you real references. 

Trying to do everything at the same time usually slows growth instead of accelerating it. 

Final Thoughts 

One of the key messages from Bijal was simple. The ecosystem only works when the customer wins. 

One of the clearest messages from Bijal was about customer value. 

“There’s no point building something that nobody’s buying.” 

Partners often focus on certifications, status, or tier level. But those things alone do not create growth. What matters is solving a real business problem. Everything starts with understanding the customer outcome.  

If you are an ISV, a partner, or building within the Salesforce ecosystem, this conversation gives clear direction on what actually drives growth.