| Sometimes business makes odd bedfellows. Take | | | | and Jobs was the vision and direction behind it. |
| Bill Gates and Paul Allen, the founders of Microsoft. | | | | Each bringing a different and unique super-skill to |
| Both were intelligent men. Both were top | | | | synergistically enhance the other partner's gifts |
| academics at one of the top American | | | | and talents. That is what the ideal Joint Venture |
| Universities. But, each was nothing without the | | | | partner does. Granted, it probably will not be |
| other. Paul Allen was really the brain of the | | | | anything like the scale of Microsoft or Apple, but |
| operation. He would do a lot of the programming | | | | your level of success is married to you developing |
| and design behind the functionality of the | | | | relationships with people in your field, or other |
| operating systems, and business application that | | | | fields and working together on projects to make |
| Microsoft would put out there. | | | | money. It is almost like finding the business world's |
| Bill Gates would take care of business matter | | | | version of your soul mate. |
| most often. Gates seemed to understand how to | | | | There are several arrangements and levels of |
| control their market better, and how to tie in | | | | involvement that a partnership can be built on. |
| what was essentially a hobby at the time, to a | | | | Some partners will simply be money contributors |
| mainstream business resource. A few joint | | | | and not want to make decisions on a day to day |
| projects later and their company was racing to | | | | basis. Others will want to be updated regularly and |
| lead the world in technology development and | | | | involved as much as possible. Some will simply |
| profits. | | | | donate their time and energy for a stake of the |
| Another great example is Steve Jobs and Steve | | | | profits at the end. Whenever people get together |
| Wozniak from Apple. Steve Jobs was, and | | | | and work on a project there are clashes of |
| remains, a visionary in the realm of technology | | | | personality and style that will need to be |
| and the application of personal computers. Steve | | | | anticipated and adjusted for. |
| Wozniak actually invented the first personal | | | | Whatever partnerships you build, it is always best |
| computer. In fact, he was an HP employee at the | | | | to understand that it will not always be great, and |
| time of its invention and was contractually | | | | it will not always be bad. There will be high points |
| required to turn it over as HP owned his | | | | and low points. It reminds me of the old saying |
| intellectual property rights through his employee | | | | that things are never as bad as you think, and |
| contract. When Wozniak presented the personal | | | | they are never as good as you think either. If |
| computer he had assembled out of scrap wood | | | | you keep that mindset you will do fine in working |
| and a 4" monitor he had, they decided his | | | | with your joint venture partners. Nothing is |
| personal computer had no market and signed | | | | forever and your project will come to a |
| over right to him. | | | | conclusion one day, along with your partnership, |
| Obviously Wozniak was the brains behind Apple | | | | so enjoy it while you can. |