Your First 30 Days as a Petronella MSP Partner

Before Prototyping Begins

• Use case brief - A one-page description of the client workload you want to prototype. What models, what data, what compliance framework applies.
• Client NDA - If the end-client requires confidentiality beyond our standard mutual NDA, provide it before the kickoff call.
• Infrastructure survey - Current network topology, firewall rules, compliance posture, and any existing AI/ML tooling at the client site.

What You Get Back

• Working prototype running on the Petronella fleet
• Architecture document with deployment specifications
• Bill-of-materials (BOM) for hardware procurement
• Compliance memo mapping the prototype to the applicable framework (CMMC L2, HIPAA, NIST 800-171)
• Runbook for your MSP engineering team
• Managed-service recommendation with scope and pricing

Prototyping timeline: 2-3 weeks (PoC Lite), 4-6 weeks (Fleet Prototype and Compliance-Aware), 6-8 weeks (Production-Ready). See full Fleet details.

For Council Members - Cohort Onboarding

The Operator Council runs on an async-first model. Here is what the first 12 weeks look like:

• Weeks 1-2: Kickoff and ICP definition. Pre-recorded Craig content plus worksheets delivered through the LMS.
• Weeks 3-6: Core frameworks - 39-Layer, CMMC L2 gap assessment, HIPAA playbooks. Remixed from existing Training Academy content for the MSP-owner audience.
• Weeks 7-8: Private AI service design and deployment SOW structure. Pre-recorded fleet walkthrough plus guest expert recordings.
• Weeks 9-10: Forensics-ready IR and expert-witness positioning. Craig signature content.
• Weeks 11-12: Marketing, sales, and peer action-plan roundtable. Peer-led with Blake moderating.

After Week 12, you roll into ongoing alumni participation: monthly live Craig Q&A, weekly peer roundtables, quarterly outside-expert sessions, automated P&L benchmarking, and the deal-flow channel. See full Council details.

Your client picture

• Regulated mix - roughly how many of your clients sit in regulated industries: defense and federal supply chain, healthcare, legal, financial, or critical infrastructure. This drives which frameworks matter and which tier fits.
• Current stack - your RMM, EDR, backup, and PSA platforms. Co-managed work integrates with what you already run, so an accurate list avoids a scoping conversation built on assumptions.
• The specific deal, if one exists - for a referral or white-label registration, what the client needs, which framework applies (CMMC, HIPAA, NIST 800-171), and roughly when they want to start. You do not need a deal to join as a Petronella Partner, but a live deal is what the 90-day registration window is for.
• Compliance artifacts you already have - any existing SSP, gap assessment, or policies your team has produced. Knowing what exists tells both sides whether the work starts at readiness or at remediation.

Your questions for us

Interview us the way you would interview any sub-contractor. The questions that matter most: which deliverables carry the Petronella Technology Group, Inc. name, how long a deal registration protects an opportunity, how pass-through costs are treated in commission calculations, and what the notice period is on either side. The answers to the first, second, and fourth are in the free partner terms above; ask them anyway and compare what you hear to what any other prospective partner tells you.

Free Petronella Partner path

• Days 1 to 5: application submitted and fit review complete. If approved, the Partner Agreement arrives for electronic signature; elect referral, white label, or both when you sign.
• Days 6 to 15: pick the client in your book of business most likely to need co-managed security or compliance delivery in the next quarter, and draft the deal registration: what the client needs, which framework applies, and your expected timeline. Send it when it is real. An approved registration protects the opportunity for 90 days.
• Days 16 to 30: if the registration is approved, quote the client. On white label, request the written wholesale quote first, since each quote is valid for 30 days and your margin depends on it. If no deal is ready yet, that is fine: the agreement has no purchase requirement, and the registration window is there when you need it.

Stack path

• Days 1 to 5: Stripe checkout completes, Training Academy credentials and the community invitation arrive within minutes. Start the 39-Layer Cybersecurity Framework course (54 lessons) as the shared baseline for the team.
• Days 6 to 15: put the technician closest to your regulated account into the CMMC 2.0 Implementation Bootcamp (67 lessons). Join the next monthly live Q&A with Craig Petronella and post an introduction in the private member community at community.petronellatech.com.
• Days 16 to 30: decide whether the catalog on your account is enough or whether you need seats for technicians through team training orders. If a specific client engagement needs a named CMMC-RP on the SOW, review the co-signing add-on, priced from $1,500 per month per engagement on the pricing page.

Fleet path

• Days 1 to 5: book the free 15-minute Discovery Call. Bring the use case brief, the applicable framework, and your infrastructure picture.
• Days 6 to 15: scoping completes, the sub-tier is recommended (PoC Lite through Production-Ready, $35K to $125K+), and the Stripe Payment Link is issued only after scope is mutually agreed. No payment happens before scoping.
• Days 16 to 30: prototyping begins per the timeline on the Fleet page: 2-3 weeks for PoC Lite, 4-6 weeks for Fleet Prototype and Compliance-Aware, 6-8 weeks for Production-Ready. Deliver the use case brief and a picture of the client's infrastructure promptly to keep the timeline intact.

Council and Strategic paths

• Days 1 to 5: application review complete and, if qualified, the fit call scheduled - 15 minutes with Craig Petronella for Council, 60 minutes for Strategic.
• Days 6 to 30: Council members start the 12-week async curriculum described above. Strategic partners start with the capability assessment and the first quarterly coaching scheduling described on the Strategic page.

Can I start as a Petronella Partner without paying anything?

Yes. Petronella Partner is $0 to join and there is nothing to buy. You send the one-form partner application, our team reviews it within two business days, and if it is a fit you receive the Partner Agreement for electronic signature. You elect referral, white label, or both when you sign. There is no purchase requirement at any point, and the agreement is non-exclusive for both sides.

Do I need a client deal before I apply?

No for Petronella Partner, Stack, Council, and Strategic. Yes for Fleet: Tier 2 prototyping is scoped against a real client opportunity, which is why it starts with a free 15-minute Discovery Call rather than a checkout link. As a free partner you can register your first deal whenever one is real; an approved registration protects it for 90 days and can be renewed while the deal is active.

How fast can I bring my first deal to Petronella?

As fast as the deal is real. Apply, sign the agreement, then register the deal. We approve or decline a registration within five business days. Registering before you quote protects the opportunity for 90 days; on referral, the client must sign with us within six months of the approved registration. If you quote first and register later, you run the risk that the registration window does not cover the client's signature date.

What documents will carry the Petronella name on my client's work?

Attestation letters, documents signed by a credentialed practitioner such as a CMMC Registered Practitioner, submissions to regulators or assessors, and Business Associate Agreements always carry the Petronella Technology Group, Inc. name, whether you work with us on referral or white label. Everything else in a white-label engagement is delivered behind your brand at the price you set. Ask your contact to confirm which documents in your specific engagement carry which name before the engagement letter is signed.

What support do free partners get during onboarding?

Free partners can reach the team by email at sales@petronellatech.com with responses within about 4 business hours on Eastern Time business days, phone at (919) 348-4912 during business hours, and, where a tier includes it, the Circle.so community. The paid tiers add the LMS, community, and structured programs described in the tier sections above; they do not change the partner terms themselves.

What happens after onboarding if I want more than referrals?

The paths are independent, so you can add a paid tier whenever it fits. Stack for the training catalog and community, Fleet for a specific prototyping engagement, Council for the peer group, Strategic for full advisory. The pricing comparison page lays out every tier side by side, and the same application form routes to whichever you choose. Nothing in the free partner agreement obligates you to add a paid tier.