Comments on: Never Take On Business Partners http://www.startbreakingfree.com/8/never-take-on-business-partners/ How to Quit Your Job and Start Your Own Business Wed, 17 Mar 2010 17:10:03 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.1 hourly 1 By: Satheesh Amilineni http://www.startbreakingfree.com/8/never-take-on-business-partners/comment-page-1/#comment-5532 Satheesh Amilineni Fri, 12 Feb 2010 21:10:01 +0000 http://www.startbreakingfree.com/?p=8#comment-5532 I completely agree with Brian!!! Partnerships with partners explicitly discussed and owned different portfolios are successful ones in businesses. Where as when there is a general partnership agreement where there is no specific ownership area will generate heat among the partners (during decision making) some time or the other if not all the time. Kudos to Brian for making my lazy brain to start crunching the extreme ideas. :-) I completely agree with Brian!!!
Partnerships with partners explicitly discussed and owned different portfolios are successful ones in businesses. Where as when there is a general partnership agreement where there is no specific ownership area will generate heat among the partners (during decision making) some time or the other if not all the time.

Kudos to Brian for making my lazy brain to start crunching the extreme ideas. :-)

]]> By: business research http://www.startbreakingfree.com/8/never-take-on-business-partners/comment-page-1/#comment-27 business research Sat, 29 Mar 2008 08:22:55 +0000 http://www.startbreakingfree.com/?p=8#comment-27 <strong>business research...</strong> I feel so tired and sad today. First, I tripped over a chair because I am too busy reading a book. The pain was somewhat unbearable but brought up in a family who is serious and doesn’ t like to cause embarrassment, I kept quiet.... business research…

I feel so tired and sad today. First, I tripped over a chair because I am too busy reading a book. The pain was somewhat unbearable but brought up in a family who is serious and doesn’ t like to cause embarrassment, I kept quiet….

]]> By: Jonathan http://www.startbreakingfree.com/8/never-take-on-business-partners/comment-page-1/#comment-26 Jonathan Wed, 09 Jan 2008 21:34:18 +0000 http://www.startbreakingfree.com/?p=8#comment-26 <strong>Jonathan...</strong> I just came across your blog and wanted to drop you a note telling you how impressed I was with the information you have posted here. I also have websites & blogs so I know what I am talking about when I say your site is top-notch! Keep up the great w... Jonathan…

I just came across your blog and wanted to drop you a note telling you how impressed I was with the information you have posted here. I also have websites & blogs so I know what I am talking about when I say your site is top-notch! Keep up the great w…

]]> By: Brave Solutions http://www.startbreakingfree.com/8/never-take-on-business-partners/comment-page-1/#comment-25 Brave Solutions Tue, 04 Sep 2007 07:40:39 +0000 http://www.startbreakingfree.com/?p=8#comment-25 Hi Armstrong, Though I have not started any business yet I consider your advice worth considering. Hi Armstrong,

Though I have not started any business yet I consider your advice worth considering.

]]> By: Brian Armstrong http://www.startbreakingfree.com/8/never-take-on-business-partners/comment-page-1/#comment-24 Brian Armstrong Tue, 03 Jul 2007 16:50:30 +0000 http://www.startbreakingfree.com/?p=8#comment-24 Hmm...you may be right. This is just my opinion (which may change over time) and I always like to hear discussion and other viewpoints. One thing about both of those examples is that both Google and Yahoo changed out of the partnership model very quickly. Eric Schmidt runs Google now and Tim Koogle took over as CEO shortly after Yahoo launched (and now Yang is back). Notice that I'm not saying you shouldn't work with other people. Sergey and Larry probably have great synergy as peers and colleagues. But there has to be one person at the TOP, a decision hierarchy that ends in one person, or you get the problems I talked about above. Even underneath the CEO, Sergey and Larry are in charge of separate areas. They don't share responsibility for one area. Saying "lets both run this thing, and we'll each make decisions together" I think is always a bad idea. The buck has got to stop with one person. In the military, they call it a chain of command. During war is not a good time to be unclear about who makes the final decision. I think it's the same in business. But like i said I always like to hear other view points, keep the comments coming... Brian Hmm…you may be right. This is just my opinion (which may change over time) and I always like to hear discussion and other viewpoints.

One thing about both of those examples is that both Google and Yahoo changed out of the partnership model very quickly.

Eric Schmidt runs Google now and Tim Koogle took over as CEO shortly after Yahoo launched (and now Yang is back).

Notice that I’m not saying you shouldn’t work with other people. Sergey and Larry probably have great synergy as peers and colleagues. But there has to be one person at the TOP, a decision hierarchy that ends in one person, or you get the problems I talked about above. Even underneath the CEO, Sergey and Larry are in charge of separate areas. They don’t share responsibility for one area.

Saying “lets both run this thing, and we’ll each make decisions together” I think is always a bad idea. The buck has got to stop with one person.

In the military, they call it a chain of command. During war is not a good time to be unclear about who makes the final decision. I think it’s the same in business.

But like i said I always like to hear other view points, keep the comments coming…
Brian

]]> By: Chris Goward http://www.startbreakingfree.com/8/never-take-on-business-partners/comment-page-1/#comment-23 Chris Goward Tue, 03 Jul 2007 16:18:32 +0000 http://www.startbreakingfree.com/?p=8#comment-23 I think Larry Page, Sergey Brin, David Filo and Jerry Yang would all disagree with you, Brian. A business partnership can bring complementary skills and, if you organize yourself properly, will allow you to be exponentially more productive. Chris Lee's comment is spot on. Brian, businesses without partnership obviously can work, but a partner that has a vested interested in the business will commit the energy that a consultant or advisor simply can't. Chris http://www.widerfunnel.com Squeezing more value from your web traffic.(TM) I think Larry Page, Sergey Brin, David Filo and Jerry Yang would all disagree with you, Brian.

A business partnership can bring complementary skills and, if you organize yourself properly, will allow you to be exponentially more productive.

Chris Lee’s comment is spot on. Brian, businesses without partnership obviously can work, but a partner that has a vested interested in the business will commit the energy that a consultant or advisor simply can’t.

Chris

http://www.widerfunnel.com
Squeezing more value from your web traffic.(TM)

]]> By: Brian Armstrong http://www.startbreakingfree.com/8/never-take-on-business-partners/comment-page-1/#comment-22 Brian Armstrong Wed, 27 Jun 2007 21:06:07 +0000 http://www.startbreakingfree.com/?p=8#comment-22 Hi Francisco, if I was in your position I would do everything I could to bootstrap, meaning spend very little money to get started. Otherwise you're right, you'll need to look for an investor or partner (which are two different things by the way). If you don't mind my asking, what type of business are you starting? Thanks! Brian Hi Francisco, if I was in your position I would do everything I could to bootstrap, meaning spend very little money to get started.

Otherwise you’re right, you’ll need to look for an investor or partner (which are two different things by the way).

If you don’t mind my asking, what type of business are you starting?

Thanks!
Brian

]]> By: Francisco L. http://www.startbreakingfree.com/8/never-take-on-business-partners/comment-page-1/#comment-21 Francisco L. Wed, 27 Jun 2007 19:32:29 +0000 http://www.startbreakingfree.com/?p=8#comment-21 What about money for the investment? I am almost poor. So an almost poor friend/partner is my only chance to get enogh money to invest. What about money for the investment?
I am almost poor.

So an almost poor friend/partner is my only chance to get enogh money to invest.

]]> By: Brian Armstrong http://www.startbreakingfree.com/8/never-take-on-business-partners/comment-page-1/#comment-20 Brian Armstrong Sat, 23 Jun 2007 04:45:23 +0000 http://www.startbreakingfree.com/?p=8#comment-20 Hi Chris, I agree with you in general. Clearly businesses succeed or fail based on relationships with others. What does a partnership offer that you couldn't get from another type of relationship (with fewer problems) such as a mentor, adviser, employee, consultant, etc? Hi Chris, I agree with you in general. Clearly businesses succeed or fail based on relationships with others. What does a partnership offer that you couldn’t get from another type of relationship (with fewer problems) such as a mentor, adviser, employee, consultant, etc?

]]> By: Chris Lee http://www.startbreakingfree.com/8/never-take-on-business-partners/comment-page-1/#comment-19 Chris Lee Sat, 23 Jun 2007 02:18:57 +0000 http://www.startbreakingfree.com/?p=8#comment-19 Because a good relationship can be very beneficial. And there are more things to building a business than just making money. Because a good relationship can be very beneficial. And there are more things to building a business than just making money.

]]>