When you're choosing a business partner, it's pretty close to a marriage. You're tied together - for better or for worse - and it will require lawyers to split you up.
This parable was originally shared with me by Sean Wise (from Wise Mentor Capital,) but dates back to the Babylonian Talmud (from about 1500 years ago.)
The sword, the cup, and the wallet refer to different aspects of a potential partner's personality, typically hidden. Each are revealed only in times when the person is under stress or, oppositely, when their guard is down.
When choosing a mate, investor, or business partner, Wise recommends taking these three actions to measure their Sword, Cup, and Wallet:
- Get them drunk (the Cup.) How do they behave? Arrogant? Bullish? Rude? Do their actions mirror your own under the same circumstances?
- Look at their spending (the Wallet.) Are they in debt? Do they purchase frivolous things? Do they display their wealth for all to see? Is money means to an end, or an end itself? Are they charitable, or do they seek charity? DO THEY SHARE? This has implications both in marriage and business, where 'equity' can mean something much more tangible.
- Get them mad (the Sword.) In the beginning of any relationship, everyone is happy and excited. What happens, though, when someone feels overworked or underappreciated? What's the reaction - over the top, calm resolution, repression?
Wise makes a few other suggestions in his in-depth essay about the Sword, Cup, and Wallet. There are other parallels between partnership and marriage, including his advice to Date First. The whole text is here.
Having been through an amicable separation with my former partners, I haven't been exposed to an ugly split beyond the details shared by other Affiliate owners. If you have words of advice, though, share them below.
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