Partner Goals Alignment Test
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A discussion about doing a partner alignment exercise before committing to a business partnership, with insights on its effectiveness and limitations.
Key Benefits
- Creates open dialogue about expectations and preferences upfront
- Forces transparency about lifestyle and work goals
- Helps identify potential conflicts before committing
- Establishes foundation for honest communication
Effectiveness Varies By Age/Experience
- More valuable for experienced entrepreneurs (40+ years old)
- Have more solidified values and preferences
- Better understanding of what they want
- Less useful for younger entrepreneurs
- Values and goals likely to change significantly
- Example: Wanting 10,000 employees at age 24, then completely changing mind after hiring just 3 people
What To Discuss
- 5-10 year vision
- Day-to-day work preferences
- What you're willing/not willing to give up
- Lifestyle goals
- Work-life balance expectations
Alternative Partnership Assessment Method
- Focus on three core traits (Warren Buffett framework):
- Energy
- Most visible trait
- Must-have, not nice-to-have
- Shows through initiative and drive
- Intelligence/Competence
- Specific skills and capabilities
- Areas of expertise
- Integrity
- Hardest to assess
- How they act when being selfish benefits them
- Requires reference checks and working together first
- Energy
Best Practice
- Do small projects together before full commitment
- "Trade an experience for a belief"
- 3-week trial work period more valuable than written agreements
- Real experience reveals more than documented preferences
Sam Parr
Host of MFM and fitness influencer
Sam Parr is a serial entrepreneur and business media pioneer.
In 2016, he founded The Hustle, a business news media company that started in his kitchen with just $12 and grew to eight figures in revenue.
Sam led the charge in making newsletters popular when few believed in their potential.
After four successful years, he sold The Hustle to HubSpot, a publicly traded company. Now operating as HubSpot Media, The Hustle reaches 3 million readers daily, employs a team of nearly 100, and has been the launchpad for dozens of its staff to found their own media companies and newsletters.
Sam remains the host of the popular business podcast, My First Million, and continues to start and sell companies. He also co-founded Hampton, a highly vetted community for entrepreneurs, founders, and CEOs, and teaches people to write better through his platform, Copy That.