Ask one question: does this partnership change user behavior or product capability? If the answer is just "we get mentioned on their Twitter," it is a marketing partnership, which has its place but should not be confused with strategic value. Genuine integration partnerships involve shared users, technical dependencies, or economic alignment — they are measured in TVL contributed, users retained, or protocol revenue generated.

Before signing anything, define the success metric in writing and agree on a measurement period. If the potential partner cannot articulate what success looks like in quantitative terms, the partnership is likely to be announcement-driven rather than impact-driven.