Building Your Partnership Tracking System

What to track for each partnership:

PARTNERSHIP DATABASE FIELDS

Identification:
├── Partner Name
├── Parent Company (if different)
├── Country/Headquarters
├── Partner Type (Bank/Fintech/Remittance/Payment)
├── Listed Exchange (if public)
└── Unique ID (for reference)

Classification:
├── Tier (1/2/3)
├── Stage (1-5 scale)
├── Product (ODL/RLUSD/RippleNet/Unknown)
├── Classification Confidence (High/Medium/Low)
└── Classification Date

Volume:
├── Volume Estimate Low
├── Volume Estimate High
├── Estimate Methodology
├── Estimate Date
├── Volume Trend (Growing/Stable/Declining)
└── Data Quality Score

Corridors:
├── Active Corridors List
├── Primary Corridor
├── Corridor Count
├── Geographic Focus
└── Last Corridor Update

Evidence:
├── Primary Source 1 (URL + Date)
├── Primary Source 2 (URL + Date)
├── Last Official Announcement
├── Last Partner Confirmation
├── Contradicting Information (if any)
└── Evidence Quality Score

Status:
├── Current Status (Active/Stalled/Ended/Unknown)
├── Status Confidence
├── Last Verified Date
├── Days Since Last Update
├── Warning Flags (if any)
└── Notes

Monitoring:
├── Information Sources List
├── Update Frequency Required
├── Last Review Date
├── Next Review Date
├── Priority Level (High/Medium/Low)
└── Alert Triggers

Practical structure:

TAB 1: PARTNERSHIP MASTER
┌────┬──────────────┬───────┬───────┬─────────┬──────────┐
│ ID │ Partner      │ Tier  │ Stage │ Product │ Volume   │
├────┼──────────────┼───────┼───────┼─────────┼──────────┤
│ 01 │ SBI Holdings │   1   │   5   │ ODL     │ $300-600M│
│ 02 │ Tranglo      │   1   │   5   │ ODL     │ $200-600M│
│ 03 │ Pyypl        │   2   │   4   │ ODL     │ $50-150M │
│ ...│ ...          │  ...  │  ...  │   ...   │    ...   │
└────┴──────────────┴───────┴───────┴─────────┴──────────┘

TAB 2: EVIDENCE LOG
┌────┬──────────────┬─────────────┬────────────┬───────────┐
│ ID │ Partner      │ Source URL  │ Date       │ Summary   │
├────┼──────────────┼─────────────┼────────────┼───────────┤
│ 01 │ SBI Holdings │ [URL]       │ 2025-01-15 │ Q4 update │
│ ...│ ...          │ ...         │ ...        │ ...       │
└────┴──────────────┴─────────────┴────────────┴───────────┘

TAB 3: VOLUME MODEL
├── Bottom-up calculations
├── Top-down calculations
├── Triangulation
└── Current estimates

TAB 4: MONITORING LOG
├── Weekly review notes
├── Source check results
├── Update actions taken
└── Alert trigger events

TAB 5: CHANGELOG
├── Date of change
├── What changed
├── Previous value
├── New value
├── Reason for change
└── Source

Maintain data integrity:

DATABASE QUALITY STANDARDS

Rule 1: Every entry needs evidence
├── No partner without at least one source
├── Sources must be linked and dated
├── Unverified entries marked clearly
└── Remove entries without evidence

Rule 2: Classification requires justification
├── Tier assignment documented
├── Stage assignment with evidence
├── Product identification sourced
└── Confidence level appropriate

Rule 3: Estimates require methodology
├── Volume estimates show calculation
├── Assumptions documented
├── Ranges, not false precision
└── Date of estimate recorded

Rule 4: Staleness tracked
├── Days since last update calculated
├── Entries >12 months flagged
├── Review triggers automated
└── No "set and forget"

Rule 5: Changes logged
├── Every update recorded
├── Previous value preserved
├── Reason documented
└── Audit trail maintained

---

Rank sources by reliability:

SOURCE RELIABILITY HIERARCHY

Tier 1: Primary Sources (Most Reliable)
├── Partner investor relations / SEC filings
├── Ripple official press releases
├── Partner official announcements
├── Regulatory filings
└── Joint announcements from both parties

Tier 2: Credible Media (Reliable)
├── Financial Times, Bloomberg, Reuters
├── Major business publications
├── Respected fintech publications
└── Analyst reports from reputable firms

Tier 3: Industry Media (Verify)
├── Crypto news sites (CoinDesk, The Block)
├── Payment industry publications
├── Regional business news
└── Verify claims against Tier 1 when possible

Tier 4: Social/Community (Leads Only)
├── Twitter/X crypto accounts
├── Reddit discussions
├── YouTube analysis
├── Telegram groups
└── Never use as primary evidence

Where to find information:

SOURCE LIST BY PARTNER TYPE

Public Company Partners (SBI, Novatti, Intermex):
├── Investor relations page
├── SEC filings (EDGAR) or equivalent
├── Quarterly earnings calls
├── Annual reports
├── Press release archive
└── Check quarterly at minimum

Private Company Partners (Tranglo, Pyypl):
├── Company website news section
├── Press release distribution sites
├── LinkedIn company page
├── Founder/executive social media
├── Industry event presentations
└── Check monthly

Ripple-Side Information:
├── Ripple Insights blog
├── Ripple press releases
├── Ripple executive social media (Brad Garlinghouse)
├── Quarterly markets reports (when published)
├── Conference presentations
└── Check weekly

General Market:
├── SWIFT statistics
├── World Bank remittance data
├── Industry research reports
├── Regulatory announcements
└── Check quarterly

Automated monitoring:

ALERT SETUP GUIDE

Google Alerts:
├── "[Partner Name] Ripple"
├── "[Partner Name] XRP"
├── "[Partner Name] cross-border payments"
├── "Ripple partnership"
├── "ODL adoption"
└── Set for once daily digest

RSS Feeds:
├── Ripple Insights blog
├── Major partner investor relations
├── CoinDesk Ripple tag
├── The Block Ripple tag
└── Aggregate in feed reader

Twitter Lists:
├── Ripple executives
├── Partner executives
├── Crypto journalists
├── Industry analysts
└── Check daily

News Aggregators:
├── Feedly with relevant keywords
├── NewsNow for industry
└── Check 2-3x weekly

---

Appropriate review cadence:

UPDATE FREQUENCY GUIDE

Daily Check (5 minutes):
├── Google Alerts review
├── Twitter list scan
├── Breaking news check
└── Only act on significant items

Weekly Review (15-30 minutes):
├── Check each Tier 1 partner for news
├── Review any Tier 2 partner alerts
├── Update database with new information
├── Log review completion
└── Scheduled time (e.g., Sunday evening)

Monthly Deep Dive (1-2 hours):
├── Full Tier 1 and Tier 2 review
├── Check primary sources for each
├── Update volume estimates if warranted
├── Review stage classifications
├── Update stale entries
└── First Sunday of month

Quarterly Comprehensive (3-4 hours):
├── Complete database audit
├── All entries reviewed
├── Volume model recalculation
├── Growth projection update
├── Competitive landscape refresh
├── Document quarterly changes
└── After quarter end

Systematic weekly process:

WEEKLY REVIEW CHECKLIST

□ Review all Google Alerts since last check
□ Scan Twitter list for relevant posts
□ Check Ripple Insights for new posts
□ Search "[Partner] Ripple" for each Tier 1 partner
□ Note any new information found
□ Update database entries as needed
□ Log updates in changelog
□ Update "Last Verified" dates
□ Check for entries needing attention (>60 days stale)
□ Note items for monthly deep dive
□ Log review completion with date

Time Target: 15-30 minutes
Day: [Your chosen day]
Time: [Your chosen time]

How to handle new information:

CHANGE MANAGEMENT PROCESS

When New Information Arrives:

Step 1: Verify Source
├── Is source credible (Tier 1-2)?
├── Can claim be verified independently?
├── Is this first-hand or aggregated?
└── If weak source, add to watch list, don't update

Step 2: Assess Significance
├── Does this change classification?
├── Does this affect volume estimate?
├── Does this change status?
├── Is this material new information?
└── If minor, note but don't action

Step 3: Update Database
├── Update relevant fields
├── Document source with URL and date
├── Update "Last Verified" date
├── Log change in changelog
└── Note previous value

Step 4: Cascade Effects
├── Does this affect related entries?
├── Does this affect volume model?
├── Does this affect growth projections?
├── Trigger recalculations if needed
└── Update dependent analyses

Step 5: Investment Review
├── Does this trigger position review?
├── Does this change thesis?
├── Note in monitoring log
├── Action if threshold crossed
└── Document decision either way

---

What should prompt immediate attention:

HIGH-PRIORITY ALERT TRIGGERS

Partnership Events:
├── New major partnership announcement (Tier 1 potential)
├── Existing partner exits or ends (MoneyGram-type)
├── Major partner stage progression (Stage 4→5)
├── Major partner stage regression
├── Significant volume disclosure
└── Priority: Immediate review

Ripple Events:
├── Quarterly markets report release
├── Major Ripple announcement
├── Leadership changes
├── Regulatory developments affecting Ripple
└── Priority: Same-day review

Competitive Events:
├── Major stablecoin cross-border announcement
├── SWIFT significant update
├── CBDC development milestone
├── Competitor partnership wins
└── Priority: Weekly review assessment

Market Events:
├── Major regulatory announcement (US crypto policy)
├── Significant XRP price move (>20%)
├── Market structure changes
└── Priority: Assessment of impact

Quantitative thresholds:

THRESHOLD-BASED TRIGGERS

Time Thresholds:
├── >60 days since Tier 1 update: Flag for review
├── >90 days since Tier 2 update: Flag for review
├── >180 days since any update: Consider status change
├── >365 days no news: Assume stalled/ended
└── Automated calculation in spreadsheet

Volume Thresholds:
├── Disclosed volume differs >50% from estimate: Revise
├── Partner announces volume milestone: Update
├── Corridor market share claim: Verify and incorporate
└── Any quantitative disclosure: Evaluate

Stage Thresholds:
├── Partner announces production: Upgrade stage
├── Partner announces expansion: Reassess stage
├── No progress in 2 years: Consider downgrade
└── Any concrete stage evidence: Evaluate

When tracking affects positions:

INVESTMENT DECISION TRIGGERS

Positive Triggers (Consider Adding):
├── Major new Tier 1 partnership confirmed
├── Volume growth significantly exceeds projection
├── Regulatory breakthrough (US clarity)
├── Competitive position strengthening
├── Multiple Tier 2→Tier 1 promotions
└── Threshold: 2+ positive triggers

Negative Triggers (Consider Reducing):
├── Major partner exit (SBI-level impact)
├── Volume growth significantly below projection
├── Regulatory setback
├── Competitive position weakening (stablecoin dominance)
├── Multiple partnerships stalling
└── Threshold: 2+ negative triggers

Review Triggers (Assess but don't act immediately):
├── Mixed signals (some positive, some negative)
├── Single significant event
├── Uncertain implications
├── Need more information
└── Threshold: Monitor for pattern

---

Initial setup steps:

SETUP CHECKLIST

Week 1: Database Creation
□ Create spreadsheet with all tabs
□ Populate with known partnerships (from lessons)
□ Add initial sources and dates
□ Calculate baseline volume estimates
□ Document initial methodology

Week 2: Source Setup
□ Set up Google Alerts for all terms
□ Create Twitter list with relevant accounts
□ Set up RSS reader with feeds
□ Bookmark key websites
□ Test alert delivery

Week 3: Protocol Implementation
□ Schedule weekly review time
□ Schedule monthly deep dive
□ Schedule quarterly comprehensive review
□ Create calendar reminders
□ Complete first full review cycle

Week 4: Refinement
□ Adjust based on first cycle experience
□ Add/remove sources as needed
□ Tune alert keywords
□ Optimize time investment
□ Document lessons learned

Realistic time commitment:

TIME BUDGET (ONGOING)

Daily: 5 minutes
├── Quick alert review
├── Only action if significant
└── Can skip on busy days

Weekly: 20-30 minutes
├── Systematic review
├── Database updates
├── Log completion
└── Scheduled, consistent time

Monthly: 1-2 hours
├── Deep dive on all tiers
├── Model refresh if needed
├── Comprehensive source check
└── First weekend of month

Quarterly: 3-4 hours
├── Full audit and refresh
├── Projection updates
├── Investment thesis review
└── Coincide with Ripple reporting

Total: ~4-6 hours/month

This is sustainable long-term.
More is diminishing returns.
Less risks missing important developments.

Keeping the system working:

MAINTENANCE DISCIPLINE

Habit Formation:
├── Same time, same day for weekly review
├── Calendar blocks are mandatory
├── Treat like important meeting
├── Don't skip without rescheduling
└── Consistency > intensity

Quality Over Quantity:
├── Don't chase every rumor
├── Focus on material information
├── Avoid information overload
├── Curate sources ruthlessly
└── Delete low-value alerts

Periodic Assessment:
├── Monthly: Is time allocation right?
├── Quarterly: Are sources still valuable?
├── Annually: Full system review
├── Adjust based on results
└── System should evolve

Avoiding Common Failures:
├── Don't let database get stale
├── Don't skip documentation
├── Don't ignore negative information
├── Don't over-engineer
└── Keep it simple and sustainable

---

How tracking informs decisions:

TRACKING TO DECISION FLOW

Level 1: Data Collection (Tracking System)
├── Partnership database
├── Source monitoring
├── Alert processing
├── Weekly/monthly updates
└── Output: Current, accurate data

Level 2: Analysis (Periodic)
├── Volume estimation
├── Growth projection
├── Competitive assessment
├── Risk evaluation
└── Output: Updated investment thesis

Level 3: Decision (Trigger-Based)
├── Threshold triggers activate
├── Review against thesis
├── Position sizing assessment
├── Action if warranted
└── Output: Investment action (or documented hold)

Key Principle:
├── Tracking is continuous
├── Analysis is periodic
├── Decisions are trigger-based
└── Clear separation prevents overtrading

What to document:

DOCUMENTATION REQUIREMENTS

For Every Database Update:
├── What changed
├── Source of change
├── Date of change
├── Previous value (if applicable)
└── In changelog tab

For Every Investment Decision:
├── Trigger that prompted review
├── Analysis performed
├── Data considered
├── Decision made (and why)
├── If no action, why not
└── In separate investment log

For Quarterly Reviews:
├── Summary of quarter's changes
├── Updated thesis assessment
├── Position rationale
├── Forward outlook
├── Key uncertainties
└── In quarterly notes

Purpose:
├── Learn from past decisions
├── Identify pattern improvements
├── Maintain accountability
├── Enable post-hoc analysis
└── Build institutional knowledge

---

✅ Systematic tracking outperforms ad hoc research — Consistent monitoring catches developments earlier and maintains better baseline understanding

✅ Source hierarchy improves signal quality — Prioritizing official sources over social media reduces noise and improves accuracy

✅ Time-boxed reviews are sustainable — 15-30 minutes weekly is achievable long-term; more ambitious systems often fail from neglect

⚠️ Optimal time allocation varies — Some may need more time initially, less after familiarity; adjust based on results

⚠️ Best sources change over time — New publications emerge, old ones decline; periodic source review is necessary

⚠️ Trigger calibration requires experience — Initial thresholds may be too sensitive or not sensitive enough; adjust based on false positives/negatives

🔴 Building elaborate system then abandoning it — Better to have simple system that's maintained than complex one that's neglected

🔴 Tracking without acting — Information is only valuable if it informs decisions; don't track for tracking's sake

🔴 Confirmation bias in source selection — Include sources that might report negative developments, not just bullish ones

A partnership tracking system is only valuable if it's sustainable and actionable. The system described here requires approximately 4-6 hours monthly—significant but achievable for serious investors. The key is consistency: a simple system maintained weekly will outperform an elaborate system that's neglected after the initial enthusiasm fades.

---

Assignment: Build and test your personal partnership tracking system.

Requirements:

Part 1: Database Creation (35%)

• All tabs from lesson template
• Populated with current partnership data (from course lessons)
• All formulas working (staleness calculations, etc.)
• Evidence documented for each entry
• Initial volume estimates included

Part 2: Source Setup (20%)

• Google Alerts for all relevant terms
• Twitter list created
• RSS feeds configured
• Primary source bookmarks
• Test that alerts are working

Part 3: Protocol Documentation (25%)

• Weekly review checklist
• Monthly deep dive process
• Quarterly comprehensive review process
• Calendar integration (screenshots)
• Time allocation plan

Part 4: System Test (20%)

• Perform weekly review
• Document in monitoring log
• Make any database updates
• Log in changelog
• Reflect on process (what worked, what to adjust)

Grading Criteria:

Criterion	Weight	Description
Database Completeness	35%	All fields, formulas working
Source Configuration	20%	Alerts working, sources configured
Protocol Clarity	25%	Clear, repeatable processes
System Test	20%	Evidence of actual use and reflection

Time investment: 4-6 hours (initial setup; ongoing is 4-6 hrs/month)
Value: This is your operational system going forward

---

System Design:

• Personal knowledge management methodologies
• Research workflow design
• Information monitoring best practices

Tools:

• Google Alerts documentation
• RSS reader options (Feedly, Inoreader)
• Spreadsheet best practices

For Next Lesson:

Lesson 18 synthesizes everything into Investment Implications—bringing together all course content into actionable investment guidance.

---

End of Lesson 17

Total words: ~5,200
Estimated completion time: 50 minutes reading + 4-6 hours for deliverable (system setup)