Where the Boulder Sits

I've worked hundreds of partnerships through startups and Dell. Some succeeded. Most failed, for one repeatable reason: both sides had to change how they operate to make it work.

Here's the rule I trust now: a partnership only works if at least one side doesn't have to change its processes, business model, or sales model to make it happen.

One question worth asking before you sign anything: if a vendor wants to sell through your business, do you have to change your own model or value proposition to accommodate them? If yes, in my experience the odds are already against you. If both sides have to change, ask what the point of the partnership even was.

A business is a system of processes and people wrapped in culture. At its best, it's an efficient machine that turns inputs into something customers value. Add something that plugs cleanly into that machine, and it gets more productive. Rewire the machine to fit a partner's needs, and you're fighting the system you built.

That's the real cost most people miss. Adding a fraction more value through a substantial change (change management, new tech, sales retraining, finance sign-off) takes enormous energy for a small return. It takes the push of a pinky to roll a boulder downhill. It takes an army of men to push that same boulder uphill.

A lot depends on what the "boulder" is, and where it sits.

What's the boulder in your next partnership... and which side of the hill are you on?