The whole category in one page.
MANY PARTNERSHIPS WOULD BE BETTER AS A STRAIGHTFORWARD PURCHASE
Establish what you actually need that you cannot do yourself, and never partner for capability that defines your business, since depending on someone else for it is a permanent vulnerability.
IF YOU CANNOT ARTICULATE WHAT THE OTHER PARTY GAINS, THE ARRANGEMENT WILL NOT BE SUSTAINED
ASK WHETHER IT WOULD STILL BE WORTH IT AT HALF THE EXPECTED BENEFIT, BECAUSE PARTNERSHIPS PRODUCE LESS THAN EXPECTED AND LATER
DEFINE WHO OWNS THE CUSTOMER RELATIONSHIP, INCLUDING WHAT HAPPENS TO CUSTOMERS IF IT ENDS
It is the question nobody asks until it matters, and it determines who has a business afterwards.
FAILURES HAPPEN AT THE BOUNDARY BETWEEN EACH PARTY'S WORK, BECAUSE BOTH ASSUME THE OTHER COVERED IT — IDENTIFY EVERY HANDOVER EXPLICITLY
NEVER ACCEPT EXCLUSIVITY WITHOUT PERFORMANCE OBLIGATIONS, OR YOU ARE PREVENTED FROM WORKING WITH OTHERS WHILE THEY DO NOTHING
GIVE EVERY PARTNERSHIP A NAMED OWNER ON EACH SIDE AND SCHEDULED CONTACT, SINCE ARRANGEMENTS OWNED BY NOBODY RECEIVE NOBODY'S ATTENTION
DISCUSS THE FAILURE SCENARIO WHILE RELATIONS ARE GOOD, BECAUSE IT IS FAR HARDER AFTERWARDS
MEASURE THE TIME IT CONSUMES, WHICH IS THE LARGEST UNMEASURED COST — AND ASK PERIODICALLY WHICH ARRANGEMENTS YOU WOULD ENTER AGAIN TODAY
AND NEVER LET ONE LARGE PARTNER BECOME A DEPENDENCE YOU COULD NOT SURVIVE LOSING, BECAUSE A PARTNER WHO KNOWS YOU HAVE NO ALTERNATIVE BEHAVES ACCORDINGLY
