Keys to a Terrible Business Partnership Ep 657

In this episode, the host emphasizes the importance of strategic partnerships in business growth. Using inverted thinking, inspired by Charlie Munger, he outlines how to avoid creating a disastrous partnership by ensuring that partners bring distinct value in terms of knowledge, money, or time. He stresses the need for aligned missions, values, and visions, as well as setting clear, documented expectations. The host also advises against partnering with someone who shares an identical skill set, as this redundancy provides no incremental benefit to the business. By highlighting common pitfalls in forming partnerships, he guides listeners towards building successful, synergistic business relationships.

• Fostering a relationship is preferable to a purely contractual agreement.
• Providing equitable value can enhance partnerships.
• Creating a relationship involves thinking ahead and considering the future dynamics.

"If you can think a few steps ahead of the person, rather than saying like, oh, I'm going to get them, just say like, hey, I don't know if this is going to be equitable in the future. Give them more and you'll actually start to create a relationship rather than a negotiated contractual agreement."

This quote emphasizes the importance of forward-thinking and fairness in business interactions. It suggests that by considering the long-term equity of a deal and by being generous, one can build a relationship that goes beyond the terms of a contract.

• The speaker expresses a desire to document the process of building a significant business.
• There is a perceived gap in personal journey documentation from influential entrepreneurs like Elon Musk and Warren Buffett.
• Sharing one's own entrepreneurial journey can be beneficial for others.

"I always wish based OS Musk and Buffett had documented their journey. So I'm doing it for the rest of us. Please share and enjoy."

The speaker laments the lack of detailed personal journey documentation from famous entrepreneurs and commits to sharing their own experiences to fill this void and provide insights to others.

• Charlie Munger, a significant influence on the speaker, advocates for inverted thinking to solve problems.
• The speaker will share how to ensure a disastrous partnership based on personal experiences and lessons learned.
• The concept of learning from negative examples is presented as a way to avoid mistakes without enduring the consequences oneself.

"And the reason that we're going to talk about it in this perspective is because my big hero Charlie Munger talked about inverted thinking as one of the best ways to solve problems."

The speaker introduces the concept of inverted thinking, as endorsed by Charlie Munger, to identify how not to do something—in this case, how not to form a partnership.

• Having the same knowledge base as a partner can be detrimental.
• Redundancy in knowledge means no incremental benefit to the partnership.
• The speaker advises against partnering with someone who has an identical skill set and experiences.

"So number one is that we're going to make sure that they have the exact same knowledge base as you, all right? So this person that you're going to do business with knows the exact same stuff as you. There's no stuff that they know that you don't know, all right? Because that way, one of you is unnecessary."

This quote outlines the first way to ensure a bad partnership: by partnering with someone who has no additional knowledge to contribute, making one partner superfluous.

• Time is a critical factor in partnerships.
• A successful partnership requires a balance in the time commitment of partners.
• Misalignment in time availability can contribute to a poor partnership.

"And so if you have no time, make sure they don't have time, too."

The speaker sarcastically suggests that to create a terrible partnership, both parties should have the same limitations in time, thus ensuring that neither can contribute effectively to the partnership.

• The value of a partnership can be enhanced if one partner brings financial resources that the other lacks.
• A partnership where both parties have the same financial status may not add value to the business.

"The next one is money. If you're getting into a partnership, if one of you has money and the other doesn't, then that's value that's being added, the relationship."

The speaker points out that a disparity in financial contribution between partners can be beneficial and add value, but for a terrible partnership, financial contributions should be similar or lacking from both sides.

• Partnerships should be formed with individuals who bring different strengths and resources to the table.
• A partnership where both parties have the same knowledge, time, and money may not be necessary or beneficial.
• It's important to assess what each person can contribute to avoid redundant or unbalanced relationships.

"If they don't have money that you don't have, and they don't have knowledge that you don't have, and they don't have time that you don't have, then why would you do the partnership?"

This quote highlights the need for complementary skills and resources in a partnership. If both parties offer the same things, the partnership may lack the diversity needed for success.

• Clearly defining what each partner is expected to do is crucial for a successful business relationship.
• Different expectations can lead to misunderstandings and conflict within the partnership.
• Open and honest discussions about roles and responsibilities are necessary from the beginning.

"What do I expect you to do? What do you expect me to do?"

This quote emphasizes the need for clear communication regarding each partner's role and responsibilities within the business to prevent future disputes.

• Formal agreements are essential in establishing clear expectations and responsibilities in a partnership.
• Relying solely on verbal agreements or handshakes can lead to issues due to unspoken expectations and a lack of clarity.
• Contracts serve as a tool to facilitate difficult conversations and ensure mutual understanding.

"We don't record it anywhere. We don't write it down. We do it on a handshake because we're old school."

The speaker criticizes the practice of informal agreements, indicating that failing to document the terms of a partnership can result in a poor business relationship.

• Contracts are not just for legal purposes but to set clear expectations and facilitate dialogue.
• The process of creating a contract forces partners to discuss and agree on difficult topics.
• A well-written contract helps prevent misunderstandings and provides a reference for resolving disputes.

"The purpose of the contract is that we have clear expectations. That is why contracts exist. Clear expectations on agreement."

This quote clarifies that the main purpose of a contract in a business partnership is to ensure that all parties have a clear and shared understanding of their expectations and agreements.

• To avoid a terrible partnership, it's necessary to have balanced contributions and clearly documented agreements.
• Partnerships should not be formed based on identical capabilities but rather on complementary ones.
• A lack of written agreements and differing expectations are key ways to undermine a partnership.

"So if we're making sure that we have a terrible partnership, we got to have all the same knowledge. We got to have disproportionate time or money, right? So all those things, time, money, knowledge, such, we're all matched on those, which means that one of us isn't necessary."

This quote sarcastically suggests that having identical contributions and no formal agreements is a surefire way to create an unsuccessful partnership, underscoring the importance of diversity and clear documentation in business relationships.

• Clear communication of roles and expectations is crucial in partnerships.
• Miscommunication can lead to assumptions and unmet expectations.
• Ensuring each party knows their responsibilities prevents confusion and resentment.

"All right, now the next one, this."

This quote introduces the topic of communication and expectations in a partnership, emphasizing the importance of clarity to avoid misunderstandings.

• Giving away everything and doing a disproportionate amount of work can breed resentment.
• Partners should aim for equitable contribution to avoid renegotiation and conflict.
• Creating a relationship should be prioritized over a transactional, contractual agreement.

"Give away everything. All right, so make sure that you give away everything in the partnership and do a disproportionate amount of work at the onset, because that way you'll just definitely make sure that you can garner resentment towards the other person."

This quote sarcastically suggests that giving away everything and overworking can lead to resentment, highlighting the importance of balance in partnership contributions.

• Partners must align on the business's mission, values, and vision.
• Misalignment can cause conflict and may indicate that a partnership is not viable.
• Shared values are essential for how partners conduct business and interact with others.

"Now, the next one is that we want to make sure that we want to have a misaligned three things, mission, values, and vision, all right?"

This quote introduces the concept of alignment in a partnership, emphasizing that partners need to be on the same page regarding the business's direction and core principles.

• Partners' lifestyles and personal habits can impact the business.
• Compatibility in financial habits and personal life stability is crucial.
• A partner's personal life can affect the reliability and success of the business.

"It's very difficult to do business with somebody if you're like, you're a Dave Ramsey Saver and you live far below your means and you're doing business with somebody who lives far above their means and goes into debt all the time."

This quote discusses the impact of personal financial habits on a business partnership, suggesting that significant differences can create instability and conflict.

• A partner should bring knowledge, money, or time that complements your own.
• Redundancy in resources or skills between partners can make one partner unnecessary.
• A successful partnership requires unique contributions from each member.

"So framework one is that they got to have knowledge, money, or time that you don't have."

This quote provides a framework for evaluating potential partners, emphasizing the need for complementary resources and skills to ensure each partner adds unique value to the business.

• Equity should be given carefully in business partnerships.
• It's important to differentiate between needing a service and giving away equity.
• Equity is the most expensive asset to give away in a relationship.
• Long-term vision is crucial when deciding to give equity.

"Equity is the most expensive thing that you give up in a relationship. So you want to make sure, especially if you want to build something big, that you're giving away equity to people who are going to really drive the growth."

This quote emphasizes the high value of equity in a business and suggests that it should only be given to those who will significantly contribute to the company's growth.

• Knowledge, money, and time are critical factors to align in a partnership.
• Expectations and agreements should be equitable, clear, and documented to avoid a bad partnership.

"So knowledge, money, time. You got to check those boxes, make sure that you're aligned there. Next one is expectations agreements, all right? Make sure that they're equitable, make sure that they're well understood, and making sure that they're documented."

This quote lists the foundational elements of a successful partnership—knowledge, money, and time—and the importance of clear and fair agreements.

• Partners should share a common mission and values for the business.
• Similar interests and lifestyles contribute to a strong partnership.
• Being proud to associate with one's business partner is crucial.

"And the next big framework is that mission, values and similar interests, it actually works the same way in marriages as does in partnerships. And to be real, it's very similar so you got to make sure that you want to do the same thing with the business, big picture."

This quote draws a parallel between successful marriages and business partnerships, highlighting the importance of shared goals, values, and interests.

• Setting and documenting clear expectations is vital to prevent failure.
• Equity in expectations and contributions helps maintain a balanced partnership.

"You want to make sure that you set expectations, that you document them, and that you make sure that they're equitable."

This quote reinforces the importance of clear, documented, and fair expectations between partners to ensure the partnership's success.

• Partners should have complementary skills that benefit the company.
• Aligned decision-making processes can reduce conflict and lead to a successful long-term partnership.

"The easiest litmus test is, if you present both of you with the same data, would you make the same decision? If the answer is yes, then you'll have far less conflict in your partnership over the long haul."

This quote suggests a practical test to determine if potential partners have aligned decision-making processes, which is key to a harmonious and effective partnership.