It draws from the customer development framework[broken anchor] popularized by Steve Blank.
The process has firms ask a structured set of questions in the form of polling, open-ended feedback and with a mindset towards solving real problems for them.
Once the requirements have been ratified, firms can ensure that what they build and provide to partners has been validated prior to resources being expended.
It also helps partners feel that they had a direct hand in forming a firm's go-to-market strategy.
Partner Development is derived from many of the principles of the Lean Startup Circle.