The anatomy of an enablement academy
If your academy is just a Notion page with a few links, we need to talk.
Everyone wants an “academy” now. Sales Academy. CS Academy. Partner Academy. But more often than not, it’s just a fancy name for a folder of slides and some scattered Looms.
And hey - we’ve all started there.
But if you want your GTM teams (or partners) to actually learn, apply, and perform consistently, you need more than content - you need a program.
Why the shift? According to Insight Revenue’s State of Revenue 2025, one of the top challenges facing GTM teams today is execution. Not strategy. Not ideas... Execution!
That’s where structured enablement programs - aka academies - come in.
What is an enablement academy, really?
An academy is not a platform. It’s not a playlist. It’s not a content hub.
It’s a programmatic way to build skills and confidence at scale, with measurable outcomes. In simple terms, it’s how you take someone from “new or underperforming” to “productive and consistent” - on repeat.
A real academy includes:
A clear curriculum → designed around business outcomes, not org charts
Role-specific learning paths → what an SDR needs isn’t what a CSM needs
Blended delivery → async content + live sessions + on-the-job application
Defined milestones → so people (and their managers) know where they are
Reinforcement mechanisms → templates, playbooks, coaching, QA loops
Measurement → tied to capability, confidence, and performance
It’s not about “delivering information.” It’s about designing learning that sticks - and scales.
How to build your first academy (without hiring a full-time instructional designer)
If you’re a team of one (or even zero), start here:
Until you can hire a full-time instructional designer - aka someone trained in adult learning who knows how to build actual learning journeys - this is the most powerful thing you can do:
Map the learner journey.
Not the curriculum. Not the slide deck. The journey.
Ask yourself:
What does a new Partner / CSM / AE need to know, do, and use in their first 30-60-90 days?
What knowledge builds on what?
What behaviors or tasks prove they’re “ramped”?
What formats help best at each stage? (Hint: not everything needs a workshop.)
Learning is a process, not a moment. When you map the journey, you’re not just designing content - you’re designing confidence.
A simple starting structure
You don’t need a full LMS to start. Try this instead:
1. Entry point → Welcome content or video from a leader
2. Core building blocks → Must-know tools, processes, product info
3. Practice & application → Role plays, simulations, scenarios, deal reviews
4. Manager touchpoints → Check-ins, feedback loops, informal coaching
5. Certification or milestone → A clear signal of “readiness”
Start small. Iterate fast. Think program, not perfection.
Not just for sales
This approach applies across the revenue engine:
CS onboarding? → Academy.
RevOps process rollout? → Academy.
Partner enablement? → Yep, also an academy.
And yes, we’ll dive deeper into Partner Academies in a future edition.
