Integration middleware as primary distribution (Deliverect model)
Build middleware that connects two ecosystems via deep integrations so that both sides depend on you, turning integration partners into your main distribution channel.
Why this can grow a startup
When your product sits at the intersection of two ecosystems that need each other, every integration partner has a direct incentive to promote you because you make their own product more valuable. Unlike building on a single app store, middleware positioning creates lock-in on both sides — switching costs compound as more integrations go live. Partners actively recruit customers for you because onboarding your middleware means onboarding their integration.
Source-backed example
Deliverect (co-founded by Zhong Xu) — built middleware connecting restaurants with delivery platforms (Uber Eats, DoorDash, etc.) and POS systems; by becoming the essential connective tissue between two ecosystems, integration partnerships alone drove distribution to 80,000 restaurants across 50 countries, reaching nearly $100M ARR without relying on traditional marketing channels.
Source-reported evidence
Source: pod.wave.co
100M ARR without relying on traditional mark
Attributed to the cited source; GrowthDex has not independently verified it. Use this as context, not as a forecast, benchmark, or recommended target.
Evidence scope: claims and metrics are attributed to the linked source; GrowthDex has not independently replicated the reported result. Check the original context and validate fit before applying it. Read the evidence methodology.
Source discovered: March 23, 2026
When to use it
Use this when Partnerships is relevant to 10K+ and you can run a bounded test with a free budget.
When not to use it
Do not use it as a substitute for customer evidence, a clear owner, or a measurable stop condition. Local platform rules and market behavior still need checking.
How to do it
- Choose one target segment and define the exact next action this tactic should prompt.
- Adapt the tactic to Partnerships, using evidence from pod.wave.co as context—not as a promised result.
- Record a baseline for: Partner-referred users who reach the activation milestone. Set a guardrail that would make you pause the test.
- Run a narrow pilot and choose a test window that fits the normal decision or use cycle; do not scale before you have observed the full cycle.
- Compare the signal with its baseline. Scale only if the intended action improves without crossing the guardrail; otherwise revise one variable or stop and record what you learned.
Compare a stack for your situation
Compare source-backed tactics against your product, stage, budget and channel strengths, then choose one experiment to test.
Explore the context
Did you launch this experiment?
Report a launch to help us understand which growth ideas founders put into practice.
Apply this with an operator
Choose product surfaces that compound distribution without hiding weak activation or retention.