A deep dive into how OneStream is democratizing access to financial planning solutions through Partner Place, Open Place, and the broader Solution Exchange ecosystem

Daniel Iannucci, Senior Program Manager of OneStream’s Solution Network team, joins for an insider’s perspective on one of the most ambitious initiatives in the FP&A technology space. This isn’t just another product demo – it’s a candid conversation about building a marketplace that could fundamentally change how finance teams access and deploy specialized solutions.

From Credit Unions to Solution Marketplaces

Daniel’s path to OneStream is refreshingly unconventional. With 20+ years in project and program management but no traditional FP&A background, he brings an outsider’s perspective to an industry that can sometimes be insular. His transition from managing internal OneStream projects to launching the Solution Exchange at Splash 2023 demonstrates how cross-functional expertise can drive innovation in unexpected ways.

The “process nerd” advantage: Daniel’s passion for optimizing business processes perfectly aligns with the Solution Exchange mission – making it easier for partners to develop solutions and customers to access them.

Demystifying the Solution Exchange Ecosystem

The conversation breaks down the three distinct but interconnected platforms:

Marketplace (OneStream Internal)

• Developed and supported directly by OneStream
• Premium solutions with full commercial backing
• Direct integration with product roadmap

Partner Place (Commercial Partner Solutions)

• Developed by implementation partners like Black Diamond Advisory
• Partners handle sales and support
• Rigorous vetting process including line-by-line code scans and go-to-market analysis
• Examples include Black Diamond’s Accordion and Metadata Manager

Open Place (Community-Driven)

• Free solutions with community support
• Anyone can contribute (partners, customers, even external developers)
• “Open source” philosophy with templates and blueprints for learning
• Currently OneStream-developed but expanding to partner and customer contributions

The Trust and Adoption Challenge

Daniel candidly discusses the biggest hurdle: customer timidity. Many organizations worry that adopting marketplace solutions will be “like deploying OneStream all over again.” The platform’s power can be intimidating, and customers need reassurance about partner support capabilities.

The breakthrough moment: Successful partners offer free trials, and customers consistently respond with “I don’t want to live without this now.” It’s the classic marketplace adoption curve – skepticism followed by dependency.

The Vetting Process: Quality Without Gatekeeping

The rigorous review process includes:

• Line-by-line code scanning
• Security reviews
• Go-to-market viability analysis
• Total Addressable Market (TAM) assessment

Balancing opportunity with reality: OneStream provides honest feedback about market size and viability, protecting partners from investing in solutions with insufficient market demand while still serving niche verticals strategically.

The GitHub Vision: Democratizing Development

One of the most intriguing aspects is Daniel’s vision for GitHub-style collaboration. Currently, Open Place solutions can be downloaded and modified locally, but there’s no repository-style version control. The team is actively exploring:

• Automated development pipelines
• Community-driven solution evolution
• Faster time-to-market for targeted solutions
• Repository-style collaboration tools

Industry Vertical Strategy

The focus on specific industry verticals represents a sophisticated go-to-market approach:

• Automotive manufacturing
• Food processing
• Industrial manufacturing
• Financial services
• Education

The specialization advantage: Rather than generic solutions, the marketplace enables highly targeted tools that address specific industry pain points, making adoption more compelling and ROI more measurable.

Exponential Growth Predictions

Daniel’s projection of exponential growth within 3-4 years isn’t wishful thinking – it’s based on case studies from Salesforce and ServiceNow marketplaces. Key growth drivers:

• Automation of the development and deployment process
• Elimination of cohort-based launches in favor of continuous deployment
• Expansion beyond traditional OneStream partners to independent software developers
• Current baseline: 26 solutions growing to hundreds within 2-3 years

The Developer Ecosystem Expansion

Perhaps most exciting is the conversation about attracting developers with no FP&A background. The Solution Exchange could become a platform for software developers to create specialized financial tools without deep domain expertise, similar to how mobile app stores democratized software development.

Personal Touch: The Podcast Within the Podcast

The episode’s lighter moment – Daniel’s personal podcast about random topics like “which side of the shower to enter” – humanizes the conversation and shows how diverse perspectives can strengthen product development. The shower debate (team “closer to faucet” vs. “further away”) generated 1,000 Facebook comments, proving that seemingly simple topics often have passionate advocates on both sides.

Key Takeaways for Finance Leaders

For CFOs and Finance Directors:

• Marketplace solutions can extend OneStream capabilities without custom development costs
• Free trials reduce adoption risk
• Industry-specific solutions may offer better ROI than generic tools

For Implementation Partners:

• Clear path to monetize specialized expertise
• Rigorous but fair vetting process
• Opportunity to reach customers beyond direct relationships

For Software Developers:

• Emerging opportunity to serve finance market without traditional FP&A background
• Platform handles infrastructure, focus on solving specific problems
• Community-driven development model reducing barriers to entry

This episode provides valuable insights for anyone interested in how enterprise software marketplaces evolve, the challenges of building trust in complex B2B environments, and the future of specialized financial planning tools. Daniel’s combination of process optimization expertise and genuine enthusiasm for community-driven development makes this a uniquely informative conversation about where FP&A technology is heading.