There are two main models of business ventures: Packs and Prides
getty
When I speak to business college students, a common question comes up:
“When launching a business, should you always find a partner or cofounder? Or is it better to go it alone?”
The question captures the two schools of thought around business partnership. Programs like Y Combinator are deeply entrenched in the Cofounder School of Thought. Meanwhile, you have the Lone Wolf School of Thought that likes to point out Jeff Bezos as a go-to case study for starting out solo.
The argument is that flying solo allows you to make faster decisions, be more agile, and avoid the natural conflict that comes with having a partner, even when it’s a partner whom you like.
But I don’t think lone wolves exist. At least, not for long. Instead, I see two main models of ventures: Packs and Prides.
Pack Partnership
People like to glorify the “lone wolf” idea, but in nature, lone wolves don’t survive too long. They’re pack animals that thrive on the loyalty, motivation, and accountability that come from operating as a pack.
Businesses with cofounders operate like wolf packs. Even when one person has to be named as the CEO for paperwork purposes, they see their job as taking care of the pack. Decisions are made by the pack. Projects are completed by the pack. There is a mutual trust built on loyalty and camaraderie, not on fear of a ferocious leader.
Pride Partnership
And then you have the businesses that operate like lion prides. These are the ones started by a single founder. But even the “king” of the lion pride can’t do everything alone. He is surrounded by lionesses and younger male lions, both of whom contribute to the pride’s success.
Even when Bezos started Amazon in his garage, he wasn’t truly alone. His parents invested nearly $246,000 into his “online bookstore” idea! He may have been the head lion, but he already had a pride around him.
Personally, I’ve always leaned more into the Pride model of partnership. I like the independence of decision-making being at the “top” of an organization. But I’ve also known the benefits of being part of a pack, going back to my days as a young missionary in Hungary.
Like so much of life, there’s no one right answer. With the right pack members, you can be successful. With the right pride members, you can be successful. SkyZone (and Circus Trix before it) would have never gone far without surrounding myself with the right Pride members.
But you would be very hard-pressed to find a true “lone wolf” success story. Even Elon Musk, who is often portrayed as a lone wolf, started his business journey with his brother, Kimbal, at his side.
If that’s where you find yourself, trying to operate as a lone wolf, it’s time to switch up your thinking. Either find your pack or find your pride. You can read more about this concept in my book Off the Ground, but start by asking yourself:
- Who has consistently supported me in my business journey?
- Who do I go to most for advice and perspective?
- Who believes in me and has my trust?
The answer is probably already nearby.
What about you? Do you adhere more to a Pack Model or a Pride Model? Have you tried both? I’d love to hear your thoughts.