The dance looks familiar. Whether business or romance, partnerships often start with champagne promises and end with bitter cider realities. The pitch deck shines, the synergies look perfect, and everyone’s on their best behavior. Sound familiar?
We court optimistically in both boardrooms and living rooms while hiding the thorns. The startup co-founders skip the tough conversations about exit strategies. The merging companies that gloss over culture clashes. The romantic partners who avoid discussing money. All are hoping the roses will stay fresh forever.
But here’s what seasoned deal-makers know: The thorns matter more than the petals.
Innovative partnerships – personal or professional – start with the prickly stuff. What happens when we disagree? How do we handle money? What are our non-negotiables? These conversations feel like grabbing thorns, but they prevent deeper wounds later.
Consider the WhatsApp founders who left Facebook over data privacy disagreements. Or the Ben & Jerry’s duo who wrote their exit terms on a single piece of paper before serving their first scoop. They understood that clear boundaries make better gardens.
The champagne moments—successful launches, breakthrough deals, shared victories—will happen naturally. But without a foundation built on radical honesty, they’re just temporary bubbles in a fragile glass.
Build your partnership like a master gardener. Test the soil for compatibility. Check the pH balance. Ensure proper drainage for conflicts. Then, plant your rose garden.
The irony? When you lead with the thorns, you often have more roses. And that initial champagne tastes even sweeter when you know what’s in the fine print.
Genuine partnerships don’t avoid thorns – they learn to handle them together. Because in the end, it’s not about the perfect bouquet. It’s about growing something that lasts.
