Framework for Business Partnership Analysis

Over years of building and collaborating on ventures, a consistent pattern has emerged: partnership success isn’t solely about shared vision or “good chemistry.” While important, these are often symptoms of deeper alignment – or warning signs of potential friction.

Thus I developed a framework for evaluating potential and existing business relationships – one that moves beyond subjective impressions. The goal isn’t to find the “perfect” partner, but to objectively assess key attributes and proactively address potential gaps.

This framework is structured as a pyramid, representing a hierarchy of competencies crucial for long-term success.

The base layers represent foundational elements – those without which a partnership is unlikely to take hold. As you move up the pyramid, competencies become more nuanced and focused on sustained growth. This isn’t about checklists; it's a mental model designed to facilitate clear communication, identify areas for improvement, and ultimately, build partnerships based on a more informed understanding of what truly drives collaboration.

This framework blends scientific resources from business administration with my personal experience as an entrepreneur. I will be publishing more detailed information about the sections of the pyramid in the future, but for now I'd be overjoyed if you have criticism, feedback or any opinion on it!