Revenue Sharing offers a very different kind of partnership, one where both sides share the risk and split the rewards. From a client’s perspective, it makes perfect sense. And when the business performs well, the agency actually earns more than it would with traditional KPI-based or hourly pricing.
It sounds great on paper, but in reality very few agencies, in Vietnam or globally, are actually doing it.
The reason is simple: this model requires a big bet.
1. High risk, low control
Unlike hourly or KPI-based models, Revenue Sharing doesn’t offer guaranteed income. If no sales come through, all the resources the agency has invested in the project are gone. And these projects tend to be resource-heavy; you may need a team of 3 to 10+ people, not to mention office costs, hiring, training, and more.
Each revenue-sharing deal is like running a mini business. And like any business, nothing is guaranteed. All it takes is one weak link, whether that’s the product, the partner, or the market, and the whole thing can fall apart.
Because the risk is so high, agencies need to be extremely confident not only in their marketing skills but also in their ability to assess the product, the business model, the market, and even the CEO on the other side. At IMP, we have shared more about that screening process in earlier posts.
2. All-in or nothing
Revenue Sharing isn’t for agencies who want to “test the waters.” Once committed, it requires real time, real money, and the core team. Without full investment, the likelihood of failure is almost certain.
And the commitment isn’t just about resources, it’s about mindset. The success or failure of the project must be treated as if it were our own business. That means constantly testing, failing fast, learning efficiently, and staying relentlessly persistent. More importantly, everyone on the team needs to adopt this mindset, not just the founder.
3. Hard to scale
With Revenue Sharing, every project is a brand-new case. There is no copy-paste strategy. Every industry, product, and team is different, and the agency has to dig in like an insider to truly understand it.
Solving new problems every day isn’t the exception, it’s the default. This makes it nearly impossible to build a repeatable, scalable process.
The only path to growth isn’t taking on more clients, but going deeper with a select few and pushing hard to scale their results.
4. High level of trust
Especially trust in the CEO: that the numbers they share, especially revenue and order volume, are accurate; that they understand their market, product, and customers; and that they are capable of building something meaningful.
And most importantly, that when the project succeeds, they won’t cut the agency out just to protect their bottom line.
In short, Revenue Sharing is more than just a business model, it’s a test of skill and commitment for both sides.
For those who are interested in this model, it demands belief, skills, and the determination to go all-in. And yes, a little bit of luck never hurts.
