If Procurement Is Running the Show, You Should Walk Away

In one of our early conversations with a corporate prospect, everything seemed to go fine — until we were handed off to procurement before anyone on the business side had committed.I should have pulled the plug right there.

👉 If procurement is the entry point — and not part of the final step — it’s a red flag.

Procurement has an important role.They manage compliance. Contracts. Risk. Pricing. They keep the machine running — and that’s good. But they’re not in the business of creating new opportunities. That’s not their job. That’s the business side’s responsibility.

💡 Here's what I've learned (often the hard way):

✅ Procurement should be involved, but never lead

✅ You need a business case first, then procurement can help implement it

✅ If you’re only talking to procurement, no one’s fighting for you internally

✅ If you don’t have a clear Champion, you're just another vendor quote

I’ve seen startups sink months into process and paperwork — only to realize that no one on the business side had committed budget or even bought into the idea.

Unless someone is pulling for you on the inside, the process won’t move — and even if it does, it won’t convert into real business.

💬 Ever been sent into “procurement purgatory” without a Champion? Let’s talk — I’ve been there, and it’s more common than you think.