🛑 The $2.3 Million Problem I Discovered in 80% of Partnership Deals
Deals I steer clear of that would cost more than I'd make...
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Last week, I reviewed 9 partnership proposals that landed in my inbox.
Total potential revenue these deals could generate: $2.3 million.
Number I said yes to: Zero.
Here's why...
The Pattern That's Killing Deals
Every single proposal followed the same broken formula:
"Hey Tony, I've got this amazing opportunity. We could make millions together. I just need you to..."
Then came the laundry list:
Build the entire sales system
Write all the copy
Handle inbound lead generation
Manage customer service
Split profits 50/50
Wait, what?
I do 100% of the work for 50% of the revenue?
The Rabbit Hole Most "Partners" Fall Into
Here's the thing most people don't understand about partnership deals:
I'm not looking for more work.
I'm looking for more assets to monetize.
The difference?
Work requires my time.
Assets generate income without me.
When someone approaches me with a "partnership" that requires me to build everything from scratch, they're not offering a partnership.
They're offering me a job with equity.
No thanks!
What Actually Gets My Attention
The deals that make me lean forward all have three things:
Existing Assets: A warm email list of at least 50,000+ people. A customer database. A Facebook group with real engagement. Something that's already built and proven.
Proven Relationship: They've already made money with their audience. Their people buy from them. There's trust and affinity.
Hands-Off Execution: They want me to take something off their plate, not add to mine. "Tony, I've got 47,000 unconverted leads sitting here. Can you turn those into sales while I focus on my core business?"
The more successful a company is?
The more assets I’ve found that are lying around that they don’t have the time or means to get to.
I do.
The $364K Test That Changed Everything
One of my best partnerships started with a simple conversation:
"Tony, I've got 5000 previous buyers but no time to do anything with them. What would you do?…"
Two weeks later: $529,026 in sales.
My cut?
A ridiculously healthy number.
Partner's workload: Zero additional hours.
Other than onboarding new peeps.
That's what a real partnership looks like.
Why This Matters Beyond Money
When you structure deals correctly, something magical happens:
You become a paycheck instead of an expense.
Instead of your partner thinking, "What's Tony going to cost me this month?…"
They think, "I wonder what Tony's going to make me this month?…"
That mindset shift changes everything.
The Real Problem
Too many people are trying to build partnerships the hard way.
They're chasing new clients instead of leveraging existing assets.
They're creating work…
…instead of eliminating it.
They're asking partners to take risks instead of removing them.
Result?
Deals that never close.
Partnerships that never start.
Revenue that never materializes.
What I Tell People Who Want to Partner With Me
Don't come to me with ideas.
Come to me with assets.
Don't ask me to build something new.
Ask me to monetize something you already have.
Don't make me take risks.
Make it impossible for me not to succeed.
When you flip the script this way, you don't just get better partners.
You get deals that actually close.
And cashflow runs like a raging river.
Instead of a trickling stream.
In your corner,
~ Tony
P.S. If you're sitting on underutilized assets (email lists, customer databases, social followings) and want to see what a real partnership could look like, comment with "ASSETS" and tell me what you've got gathering dust.
💡
A lot of folks suffer from what I call "shiny object syndrome" and quickly jump from one new idea to the next and plugging gaps with manual workarounds. There's a lot to be gained from focusing on existing assets with proven business systems, and making them sweat harder.