Partnership Management Essentials

I made it to VP at Amazon because of the people I partnered with. The same is true for building my part-time business that made $950k last year. Create the partnerships that will let you leap forward - here’s how: 1) Understand Productive Partnerships Here are some examples of the partnerships that propelled my career: a) I partnered with my first boss out of college. I taught her technology, she taught me leadership and drove my first two promotions (lead engineer, then manager). b) At Amazon, my first lead engineer and I worked together for 8 years. I went from Senior Manager to Director to VP while he went from SDE to Senior SDE to Manager to Senior Manager to Director - FOUR PROMOTIONS. c) My COO, Jason Yoong, reached out to me and initiated our partnership by volunteering to build my Substack newsletter. Someone has to take the first step, and he did. d) Most recently, I formed the “Career Growth Collective,” where I invited LinkedIn voices Omar Halabieh, Steve Huynh, and Rajdeep Saha to work with me to amplify our messages across platforms and groups to help more people. Each person in this partnership brings different strengths. Steve and Raj are senior individual contributors with strong YouTube presences. They bring the “Principal” level perspective. Omar is based in Dubai and is actively leading a big team. He also cranks out amazing graphics every day. The different strengths that each person brings leads me to part 2. 2) The Partnership Recipe: i) Build trust with your potential partner Be honest, be friendly, be helpful! ii) Figure out a win-win partnership With my first boss, she needed a technical advisor and I needed management sponsorship. Years later, my first lead engineer did for me what I had done for her. He provided the technical expertise while I sponsored his growth With Raj, Steve, and Omar, we all want to find new readers who will get value from our work. Tip: Take the first step. Invest in the other person without a guarantee of repayment. This will kickstart the partnership, whereas waiting for the other person to make the first move will not. iii) You don’t need perfection I proposed the Career Growth Collective idea to 4 people. 3 accepted and we are thriving together. The main message I want to share with all of this is that you do not need to “go it alone” in your career. What you do need to do is risk that a few people will not return your investment in them when you try to establish partnerships. That is OK. Learn, move on, find others who will. The value of the successful partnerships will greatly outweigh the time and effort put into the ones that didn’t pan out. Who have you partnered with? Praise or thank them in a comment! Who would you like to partner with? Send them this post with a note saying it inspired you to work more closely with them. Steve, Omar, and Raj have shared their own ideas on partnership today. Follow them and read their ideas.

Early Stage founder: “We need help NOW but can't afford full-time hires." Finding and managing the right freelancers is a common challenge at that stage. But after helping 50+ startups, I've identified a systematic way to de-risk it: 🎯 Start with strategy, not hiring: → Map your desired outcomes clearly → Document the specific steps needed to get there → Identify which skills are truly core vs. supportable → Leverage your network for referrals (still the best source) → If no referrals, go to platforms like Upwork and Fiverr ✅ Vet and validate: → Review portfolios and past startup work → Ask exactly how they might use LLMs in their workflow → Set crystal-clear deliverables and success metrics → Cap initial test assignments at £500 → Track which freelancers consistently deliver quality work → Document detailed feedback to improve collaboration 📈 Scale thoughtfully: → Begin with high-impact, low-product-knowledge tasks → Create repeatable processes for successful projects → Develop freelancers' understanding of your business → Focus your core team on strategic innovation → Build your trusted talent network gradually If you can't identify the right freelancers because your path to success isn't clear, a senior advisor or fractional C-level pro can help map your execution plan first. Savvy founders don't gamble on freelancers. They build clarity first, then choose the right experts. ♻️ Found this helpful? Repost to share with your network. ⚡️ Want more content like this? Hit follow Maya Moufarek.

Sustainability Maturity Self-Assessment 🌎 Understanding the level of sustainability integration within an organization requires structured analysis across multiple operational dimensions. Moving beyond isolated initiatives, this approach provides a clearer view of internal alignment and areas requiring systemic improvement. Disclosure practices are a key area of focus. Integrated reporting that connects sustainability and financial data, alignment with frameworks such as TCFD, and preparation for new regulatory requirements indicate a higher level of maturity. Effective organizations establish clear sustainability targets. These targets are measurable, time bound, and supported by transition plans and internal accountability. They serve as reference points for strategic planning and operational execution. Governance is another critical pillar. The presence of formal structures, leadership ownership, and cross departmental coordination reflects whether sustainability is embedded into core decision making processes. Board oversight acts as a signal of institutional prioritization. Regular engagement, monitoring through defined indicators, and integration into enterprise risk management processes are all essential components. Data quality underpins all sustainability decisions. Organizations are evaluated based on their ability to collect, estimate, and validate key metrics, particularly emissions data aligned with recognized methodologies. Value chain visibility expands the lens beyond internal operations. The ability to monitor sustainability performance upstream and downstream indicates a broader understanding of impact and risk exposure. Procurement strategies also reflect the depth of integration. When sustainability criteria shape supplier selection and guide collaborative initiatives, procurement becomes a tool for driving environmental and social outcomes. This type of evaluation does not produce a static score. Instead, it highlights capability gaps, supports internal benchmarking, and informs priorities for systems level improvements aligned with strategic sustainability objectives. #sustainability #sustainable #esg #business

I’ve learned that the most effective partnerships aren’t grounded in contracts, they’re built on mutual empathy and strategic alignment. Too often, alliances fail because they’re managed like vendor relationships, not true collaborations. But genuine partnerships require something more: a shared willingness to take smart risks for one another’s success, the humility to recognize when your partner brings greater expertise, and the discipline to stay aligned through complexity. When done well, partnership becomes a source of transformation. You unlock solutions neither side could build alone and create durable, differentiated value in the process. I had the opportunity to discuss these ideas with Stephanie Mehta for her Modern CEO column in Fast Company. In today’s interconnected world, your ability to build and scale the right partnerships isn’t just a soft skill—it’s a strategic capability and a competitive imperative. More here: https://lnkd.in/g9YJ2f5T

The ultimate power move in music isn't a chart-topping hit—it's re-recording your entire catalog. When Taylor Swift's masters were sold against her wishes, she didn't just complain—she headed back to the studio. "When something says (Taylor's Version)," she explained, "that means I own it." Four albums in, her strategy has paid off spectacularly. Music copyright is multi-layered: composition rights (melody/lyrics), master recording rights (the actual audio), and performance rights (for public playback). Artists often control some but not all—which is why re-recording creates new masters they can fully own. Crucially, Swift retained her publishing rights for her early albums, making the re-recording strategy feasible in the first place. Swift isn't the first to play this card. JoJo re-recorded her early albums after a label dispute left them unavailable on streaming services. Def Leppard created "forgeries" of their hits to gain leverage in digital royalty negotiations. Frank Sinatra founded his own record label and re-recorded his classics for creative freedom. The financial impact is staggering—Swift's re-recordings consistently outperform the originals. Red (Taylor's Version) broke Spotify's record for most-streamed album in a day by a female artist, effectively devaluing the original masters. This strategy has contributed significantly to Swift becoming a billionaire in 2023—largely through music revenue, a rare achievement in the industry. Meanwhile, music catalogs have become hot investment properties, with over $5 billion spent on acquisitions in 2021 alone. Investors view music rights as stable assets that generate reliable returns. The industry has noticed. Labels are now extending re-recording restriction periods from 5-7 years to 10-30 years in new contracts. Musicians should consider strategic pushback: leveraging existing fanbase data in negotiations, pushing for shorter contract terms, and seeking reversion clauses that return masters after a certain period. If full ownership isn't possible, joint ownership structures with labels offer an alternative—even partial control provides a seat at the table for future decisions. As Brendan Brown of Wheatus, who re-recorded "Teenage Dirtbag," bluntly advised: "Never give away your publishing or your masters... there's no excuse not to hoard your s*** and keep it under your bed." If you could see any artist reclaim their back catalog through re-recordings, who would it be and which album deserves the "(Artist's Version)" treatment first? #IPidity #copyright #WorldIPday #MastersOfTheirDomain P.S. Interested in how IP supports investment in the music industry? Tune in to WIPO's IP Finance Dialogue on May 13. We'll be discussing ongoing research we're conducting on this topic. Register here: https://lnkd.in/eD9cXSak

When exploring new partnerships, it’s easy to get caught up in the excitement of potential opportunities. But what often gets overlooked is the alignment between the company’s existing priorities and the resources needed to support those partnerships. I was chatting with a partner leader whose deal fell apart because they jumped straight into the partnership without fully understanding the company’s internal challenges. They didn’t ask the critical questions: What problems do we need to solve that a partner could help with? What are our current commitments? What resources are already tied up? They made the mistake of assuming the strategy was already adopted across the company. But without internal buy-in and alignment with company goals, even the most promising partnerships are doomed to fail. Before diving into a partnership, ensure there’s alignment with your organization’s priorities and a clear understanding of the internal landscape. You've got to know your own business first, then find the right partners

A breakdown in trust, not numbers, is the No:1 reason deals fall apart. In private equity we obsess over business models, niches, and value creation, but long-term value still starts and ends with people. The most important signal in any deal is rarely on the spreadsheet. Look to the room. How does a founder or CEO answer the hard questions? How do teams navigate under pressure? How quickly did they build trust, or lose it? The best transformations don’t come from the most elegant plans; they come from alignment, belief, and shared conviction across leadership teams. That’s why I test for three things early in every partnership: ✅ Transparency: Can we speak openly when things go wrong? ✅ Resilience: Do we both want long-term value, not short-term optics? ✅ Mutual respect:Do we treat each other as partners, not just stakeholders? At the end of the day, capital may accelerate the business. But only trust will sustain it.

Dear funders of charities and nonprofits, If you want evaluation and reporting on the funding you are providing➡️Fund the costs of an evaluation specialist, staff time to develop and implement feedback collection, data analysis, and report generation If you want collaboration and partnerships➡️Fund the costs of time and energy required to conduct outreach, exploratory meetings, develop shared frameworks and outcomes, and ongoing learning If you want organizational sustainability➡️Provide unrestricted, multi-year funding which ensure programs and efforts can continue into the future If you want innovation➡️Provide funding to allow for mistakes and learning to happen, and for the multiple years it might take to see an idea take root, while also remembering it may not work at all If you want volunteer engagement for your team members➡️Provide funding for the labour and energy it takes to organize meaningful volunteer engagement opportunities Having expectations without providing support to make them happen is a recipe for stretching an organization beyond its capacity to deliver. Also, a good place to start is to ask is if your expectations are reasonable and necessary to begin, so you can remove any excess burden from the organizations you are funding. They have enough to do already!

Success in hiring a freelancer has to do with WAY MORE than just the person you hire. I've hired 20+ freelancers over the last 2 years for my own 3 businesses, in addition to seeing thousands facilitated by our platform. It's not only who you hire, it's HOW you hire and manage them. Here are 6 tips on how to ensure successful freelance hires: 1) Do Paid Sample Projects There's no substitute for actually working together. Budget $300-$500 for a paid sample project for your top candidate (something that you'll use), and see how they perform. If their work blows you away, make the hire. If it's just "okay", then don't. 2) Work Asynchronously One of the biggest reasons freelancers love being freelancers is their schedule flexibility. Don't bog them down with unnecessary, recurring meetings and they'll do their best work for you (and bill you less hours). 3) Pay Well & On Time Freelancers are stressed about 2 things on a daily basis: 1 - Getting work 2 - Getting paid You have full control over number 2. Don't squeeze them on their rate, and pay invoices as soon as you get them. It'll pay dividends in the work they do for you because they LIKE working for you 4) Align on Long-Term Expectations in Advance There's nothing worse than onboarding a freelancer and them having to roll off after 6 months due to a personal or professional comittment. Be upfront about how long you expect to want to keep them for, and whether or not a full-time role is a possibility. Make sure you're both aligned on those long-term expectations. Of course, things can change, but it's always helpful to align in advance no matter what, and communicate if/when things do change. 5) Avoid Surprise Bills A brand's biggest nightmare is getting a bill 5x what they thought they were going to pay for an hourly project. But they rarely do anything to prevent it in advance. Sign a contract with ALL freelancers you work with, no matter how small the project. And if you're working together on an hourly basis, make sure to put a CAP on the number of hours they can bill for a given project, week, or month. Anything more should require written approval. 6) Provide Timely & Honest Feedback This is a no-brainer for full-time hires, but brands seem to leave it out with their freelancers. Not happy with the quality of work? TELL THEM. Not happy with communication or turnaround time? TELL THEM. They can't do better work for you if they don't know where they're not meeting expectations. Share feedback, live or asynchronously (criticism is best shared live), on an ongoing basis, and make sure to let them know when they're crushing it as well. *** I've hired super talented freelancers in the past, but the engagements haven't gone well, because I left out one of these 6 steps. Once I started following them religiously, my success rate shot up. I've only made 1 bad hire in the last 18 months (90%+ success rate). Try them out and let me know how it goes.

A $1.5 trillion coalition of asset owners led by Brunel Pension Partnership Limited, People's Partnership and Scottish Widows have fired a warning shot at asset managers over their climate stewardship activities, warning in a new document setting out joint expectations that failures could “contribute to a downgrade in asset manager ratings, a reassessment of the mandate, or the selection of asset manager/s demonstrating greater alignment with the pension scheme’s objectives”. The group, mostly composed of UK pension funds, called on managers to properly resource stewardship, vote systematically and collaborate where possible. https://lnkd.in/ebEH49QD