How Orchestry Scaled Through Partners, Resolving Pain Points and Azure Marketplace Moves
The Microsoft ecosystem is massive and unforgiving. Building a SaaS product on Microsoft 365 is not just about tech. It’s about navigating Microsoft’s roadmap, aligning with partner needs, and proving your value again and again.
In this episode of Go-to-Market Playmakers, Michal Pisarek, CEO and Co-Founder of Orchestry, breaks down how his team identified a market gap, validated it fast, scaled through system integrators, and landed in the Azure Marketplace.
This blog post recaps the key takeaways for SaaS founders building inside the Microsoft universe.
From Fine Dining to Founding a SaaS Company
Michal Pisarek didn’t come from a traditional tech background. He trained as a chef, worked at top restaurants, and then pivoted into tech. That outsider’s lens helped him see what many in the industry missed: Microsoft 365 offered powerful tools, but left big gaps in governance and usability.
After selling his first intranet-focused company, he noticed the same SharePoint chaos happening inside Teams, only faster.
The idea for Orchestry was born: help organizations manage sprawl, improve governance, and make Microsoft 365 easier to use.
Validate Before You Build: Selling the Idea First
Before building a line of code, the team validated the idea by asking for payment upfront. They pitched the concept to 50 prospects and asked: would you pay now for a solution we’ll build in six months?
This exposed the difference between polite interest and real urgency. Only 10% agreed—but that was enough to proceed. The feedback also helped shape the product around what mattered most: simplifying provisioning and reducing sprawl.
The First 50 Customers: Scrappy, Targeted, and Direct
Orchestry didn’t raise early VC money. They bootstrapped the first phase and did everything in-house—sales, marketing, onboarding, support. The first major customer had 2,500 seats. Others followed through relentless LinkedIn outreach, thought leadership, and webinars.
Rather than run product-led growth experiments, they leaned into founder-led selling, direct validation, and pain-first messaging.
The focus wasn’t just on product demos, it was on helping Microsoft 365 admins and partners name the problem.
Scaling Through the Microsoft Partner Channel
Once initial traction was secured, the focus shifted to scale. But not through direct sales alone. Orchestry built a strong partner channel, especially among system integrators (SIs) offering Microsoft 365 services.
The product wasn’t sold on its own. It was positioned as a way for partners to deliver high-margin recurring services, like Copilot readiness, governance assessments, or lifecycle management.
Orchestry became part of their go-to-market.
Recurring Revenue and Strategic Partner Growth
Partners face the same challenge Orchestry did early on: lumpy project work and low-value support. Orchestry gave them a repeatable way to generate monthly recurring revenue (MRR) through ongoing governance, health checks, and security monitoring.
This moved partners up the value chain—into strategic advisory roles. Instead of just managing infrastructure, they now help clients prepare for AI, implement governance, and manage Microsoft 365 more effectively over time.
Entering the Azure Marketplace: Visibility, Scale, and Co-Sell
In 2024, Orchestry joined Microsoft’s invite-only Pegasus Program and launched on the Azure Marketplace. This wasn’t just a listing—it unlocked co-sell eligibility, direct transactions via MACC agreements, and a stronger relationship with Microsoft’s field teams.
The move gave Orchestry a new channel for enterprise customers, while aligning their business with Microsoft’s sales incentives and procurement models. For startups serious about Microsoft, this is table stakes.
What SaaS Founders Must Know About Microsoft Go-to-Market
Michal’s advice is blunt: don’t try to outbuild or outcompete Microsoft. Build around the gaps. Stay close to customer needs. Align with Microsoft’s direction. And treat governance not as a feature, but as a strategic enabler for AI, security, and productivity.
And don’t wait to build your Microsoft relationship.
It’s tough to crack, but the payoff is huge if you align with their priorities and support their sales team goals.
Conclusion: Winning Go-to-Market in the Microsoft Ecosystem
Orchestry’s path offers a playbook for SaaS startups targeting the Microsoft space:
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Solve a clear, visible gap Microsoft won’t address
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Validate early—ask for money before building
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Scale through system integrators, not cold leads
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Help partners generate recurring revenue
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Build a co-sell motion with Microsoft
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Align to Microsoft’s roadmap, don’t fight it
The Microsoft ecosystem rewards clarity, alignment, and outcomes. If you get that right, the growth potential is enormous.
Want the SaaS Startup Blueprint for Going to Market in the Microsoft Ecosystem?
Watch the full Go-to-Market Playmakers episode with Michal Pisarek and discover everything you need to know for Azure Marketplace success and beyond.
