Common questions about joining Pertama as a Partner: application process, economics, engagement models, and what to expect.
3-4 weeks from application to Partner invitation. Process:
~30-40% of applicants who pass initial screen receive Partner invitation. Most decline at initial conversation (after learning economics details) or economics discussion (after realizing they're not comfortable with success-fee risk).
If you don't have former clients (because you've been in corporate roles), we'll accept references from managers, peers, or internal stakeholders who can speak to your client-facing or leadership work. Just be upfront about it in your application.
Yes! If there are active Partners in the network when you apply, we'll connect you. As of Q1 2026, the network is just forming, so you'd primarily talk to Founder (Michael Hauge).
Absolutely. Most fractional Partners keep their full-time roles. We respect confidentiality and won't contact your current employer without explicit permission.
Standard rates are 25% (Pertama-sourced) and 30% (Partner-sourced). For exceptionally large engagements ($500K+) or unique circumstances, we're open to discussion.
95%+ payment rate historically (based on Founder's 10 years running LearningLeaders). Most delays are administrative (wrong invoice recipient, approval workflows), not refusal to pay. Risk exists, but it's low.
3-6 months realistically. Engagements are structured in milestones (typically monthly). Client pays Pertama after each milestone → You receive success fee within 7 days of client payment clearing.
Potentially, negotiable for $500K+ engagements. Standard 30% Partner-sourced rate applies up to $500K. For larger deals, we'll discuss custom split based on deal size and your sourcing effort.
No lock-in for fractional or project-based Partners. Just finish any committed engagements before exiting. Full-time Partners have standard employment terms (typically 30-day notice).
You'll rely on Pertama pipeline initially. Current pipeline is 3-5 qualified opportunities per month, but only converts 30-40%. Realistically, you might get 1-2 engagements/year from Pertama pipeline in 2026. If you're joining as fractional Partner, that's $75-150K supplemental income. If you need more, you'll need to source your own.
Target: 10-15 active Partners by end of 2026. We're starting with 3-5 Founding Partners in Q1 2026, then scaling based on client pipeline capacity. We won't over-hire—partner count scales with demand.
You can be both Referrer AND Delivery Partner. You'd earn 35% total (10% referral + 25% delivery). This is the best scenario economically.
You'd earn 10% referral fee, another Partner earns 25% delivery fee. You still benefit from sourcing even if you can't deliver.
Conflict policy: If you're running your own consulting practice, you must disclose your clients at onboarding. Pertama won't pitch to your existing clients or directly competitive prospects. Trade-off: You can't take Pertama clients to your independent practice either.
Yes, flexibility is built into the model. You might do fractional work (10-15 hrs/week) for 6 months, then take a project-based engagement (20-30 hrs/week) when a great opportunity comes up. Just communicate availability to Founder.
Preferred but not required. Most clients are in Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, and Thailand. Being in-region (or willing to travel) is a strong plus. Remote-only Partners are acceptable if they have deep domain expertise and don't require on-site presence.
This model won't work for you. AI-native delivery is core to Pertama's positioning. If you prefer traditional consulting models (junior analysts doing research, manual drafting), this isn't a fit.
Pertama maintains conflict database. You disclose existing clients at onboarding. Before assigning any engagement, we verify no conflicts with your existing clients or Pertama's other engagements. We handle the awkward conversations—you just disclose honestly.
If client wants to hire you directly after engagement ends, that's your decision. No non-compete for fractional/project Partners. But: You can't actively solicit Pertama clients to leave and hire you directly—that violates Partner Agreement.
Michael Hauge founded Pertama after 10 years building LearningLeaders (2014-2024), a communication training firm that worked with 500+ executives at companies like Amazon, Meta, and McKinsey. In 2024, he saw AI disrupting consulting delivery models and launched Pertama to build an AI-native consulting firm. Read the full story: Why AI-Native Consulting Will Disrupt Traditional Firms
Bootstrapped (no VC funding). Revenue model: Client pays project fees → Pertama takes 70-75% (covers admin, tooling, Founder time) → Partner takes 25-30% success fee. Goal is profitability by Q3 2026, not growth-at-all-costs.
Transparency: This is a bet on AI-native consulting becoming mainstream by 2027. If it doesn't scale, Founder will wind down the firm and Partners will find other opportunities. No one's locked in. Fractional/project Partners have no lock-in period—finish committed engagements and exit anytime.
Yes. Early Partners (Q1-Q2 2026) who help build the firm—recruiting other Partners, sourcing clients, developing processes—will receive equity grants (0.5-1.5% vesting over 4 years). This is a founding team opportunity, not just contractor work.
You shouldn't. Pertama is unproven. Established firms have track records, predictable pipelines, and guaranteed salaries. Trade-off: Established firms cap your upside, take 80%+ of fees, and lock you into employment structures. Pertama offers higher upside, flexibility, and equity participation—but with startup risk.
Reach out directly to Founder Michael Hauge. We're building in the open and happy to answer any questions about the model, economics, or application process.
