Partner relationships - Are you orchestrating a potluck dinner or dining at the buffet?

Great partner relationships should be like a potluck dinner. Everyone has a seat at the table, it’s a mutual conversation that all parties contribute to, with the opportunity for all to be heard. Yes, the host might create the theme and organise the evening but everyone brings their speciality dish, shares the wine and at the end of the meal equally celebrates in the success. It’s a win-win for everyone involved.

Now if you’re anything like a younger me at a buffet you’re probably going to skip the salad and load your plate up with cheese, meat, gravy and carbs. It’s a smorgasbord of powdered eggs and cheap cut meats. The low quality, high volume dishes and Corban’s house wine will leave you with a bad taste in your mouth. 

Your only goal is to try to get as much value out of your allotted 2 hours before the tables are cleared for the next sitting. In this scenario the traditional vendor isn’t welcome at the dining table, they’re just trying to squeeze out a profit without putting any particular love into the meal and hoping you pay extra for their watered down cocktails. The buffet will leave you crook with regret and ill from the dodgy oysters, don’t’ eat the oysters people.

In Ventures our choice is to work with partners who understand the win-win of a potluck dinner and not treat them like vendors or suppliers. We believe our partner relationships should result in mutually beneficial outcomes and we craft our relationships based on what everyone can bring to the table.

Cheers to all our partners out there. Here’s to more potluck dinners.