đ When Partner Wrangling Goes Off The Rails...
Peeps can't vet someone's character when they're too busy trying to impress them. I've been guilty early on of walking into coffee dates with a potential partner like I was about to audition for a Broadway show. Stats ready. Case studies loaded. Smile cranked up to an 11. Full song and dance. Basically a one-man circus act... complete with the little hat. And while I was busy juggling flaming batons trying to look impressive... ...the partner was sitting across the table dropping hints like a trail of breadcrumbs that would've told me EVERYTHING I needed to know. The controlling tendencies. The vague, squirmy answers about why their last marketing person "just wasn't a good fit." The way they talked about their audience like a faceless ATM machine instead of actual human beings. It was all RIGHT there. Neon signs. Blinking. But I had my performer hat on... So I missed every single one. I've watched sharp, talented people walk into what looked like a dream deal... ...like a kid on Christmas morning, tearing into that beautifully wrapped box... ...only to find out a few weeks (or months) later there was a dead fish inside. And they missed it because they NEEDED it to work out too badly. That's the thing nobody talks about. It ain't a skills problem. It ain't a strategy problem. It's a stance problem. Investor status isn't something you GET to... It's a stance you come FROM... The moment peeps show up needing the yes like they need oxygen... ...it's like walking into a poker game with their cards facing the wrong way. They've handed over the only thing that actually protects them in a deal. The ability to see clearly. And once that's gone? You're not vetting a partner anymore. You're just crossing your fingers and hoping they're one of the good ones. In your corner, ~ Tony