Procurement Isn’t Your Ally — Until Someone Makes Them Care

Early in our startup journey, I made the mistake of thinking we were making progress because a procurement manager was “very interested.” They responded quickly. Asked many questions. Sent over the process map. But weeks later… nothing. No movement. No decision.

Here’s what I had seen play out during my years on the corporate side — and had briefly forgotten:

👉 Procurement is part of the process, not the power.

They’re not your enemy — but they’re not your ally either, until someone on the business side makes them care.

You need a Champion.Someone who has a problem your solution can solve — and who’s motivated to push it through.

A real Champion will:

·        Put your product on their roadmap

·        Get you into internal meetings

·        Mobilize stakeholders

·        Push for exceptions and approvals — even when the system says no

Of course, procurement needs to be involved — for compliance, legal, and contracting. But if they’re the only ones driving the conversation, you’re unlikely to get anywhere.

If there’s no one in the business advocating for you, it’s a red flag.

💡 What to watch for:

✅ Champions talk outcomes, not just features

✅ They make intros across departments

✅ They push things forward without being reminded

✅ They want to make it work

🏁 Have you been stuck in procurement without a Champion?Or found someone on the inside who changed the game for you?

Let’s swap notes — it might help someone avoid that next dead end.