The media would have you believe that securing venture capital support and funding is the epitome of “making it” in the startup world. But capital aside, what many fail to realize is that VC partners aren’t always a good strategic fit.
Take Fitbit, a company that VCs poured millions into just a few years ago. Unfortunately, the funding couldn’t stop Apple from overtaking Fitbit in the wearable market last year. So when Fitbit was looking to light a spark under its fledgling line of smartwatches earlier this year, it didn’t tap another VC. Instead, it turned to Adidas, the shoe and apparel giant known for reinventing itself.
Their product — the Adidas-branded Fitbit Ionic — dropped at the end of March and seems to have reinvigorated interest in Fitbit’s Ionic model, which made its tepid debut last year. Not only did Adidas lend financial support to Fitbit; it also lent the smaller company the fashionable, influential fan base that Adidas has carefully cultivated in the past few years.
Even though the collaboration hasn’t yet propelled Fitbit past Apple in the smartwatch space, the lesson here is clear: Your startup should look toward bigger, established businesses — not just VCs — for financial backing, mentorship, and expert guidance.
The sum is greater than the parts
Companies across a wide range of industries, from technology and retail to media and telecommunications, are investing in startup partnerships. In 2014, Wells Fargo created its own startup incubator to nurture new clean-tech businesses in the marketplace. The incubator, known as IN2, has invested nearly $6 million in 20 companies since its inception.
In successful collaborations, the relationship is symbiotic. We saw a successful example of this at the Ameren Accelerator in St. Louis. Rebate Bus, one of the startups in our 2017 cohort, used the investment and mentorship to get off the ground and begin growth. During the Accelerator, Rebate Bus received funding and mentorship and has since secured a partnership with a large company to run a 90-day trial. The large company, for its part, added Rebate Bus’ valuable new technology to its arsenal to stay competitive in the marketplace.
In addition to providing financial support, collaborations with bigger companies give you a chance to tap into a deep well of knowledge and senior-level management expertise that only a more established brand can provide. And because the bigger company will likely share a common mission with your startup, it will be concerned about more than just ROI — something you can’t always say about a VC.
Cultivating a successful partnership
Just like any healthy relationship, this sort of collaboration won’t be successful without care and attention. Here are three ways to build (and sustain) successful relationships with larger companies.
1. Don’t use a partnership as a crutch.
Business relationships are fragile. In fact, statistics from the Association of Strategic Alliance Professionals show that more than half of business alliances fail. That’s why it’s extremely important to set relationships up for success from the outset.
One of the best ways to do this is to approach the partnership as only one facet of your overall strategy for growth, not the make-or-break point for your business. While corporations want to create an environment that spurs growth for everyone, they don’t want startups to become dependent on them. Show potential partners that you can stand on your own two feet and leverage a partnership to everyone’s benefit.
2. Don’t paint your partnership into a corner.
So many venture-backed startups expect to see 12 years of growth in 12 months. These impossible expectations can hamstring a business partnership from day one. Instead, set timelines and goals with your potential partner that are specific and challenging, but also realistic.
Research from the American Psychological Association shows that setting these types of goals leads to higher performance 90 percent of the time. It’s critical to set these expectations early to ensure you and your partner are aligned from the start. The good news is that established companies whose sole purpose for a partnership isn’t ROI should be more open to realistic financial benchmarks.
3. Practice reciprocity.
For startups seeking investment, landing capital can begin to feel like the endgame. But remember: Established companies are expecting something out of a partnership, too. Older companies are always looking for fresh perspectives, and startups usually have innovative ideas to contribute. It’s important to clearly communicate what each partner brings to the table.
Take the career-finding solution PathSource, for example. Co-founder and CEO Aaron Michel didn’t even consider partnering with a company that didn’t share its goal to help people find better jobs. That’s why the company finally landed on a partnership with the GED Testing Service, the country’s high school equivalency testing administrator.
As Michel wrote in The Next Web: “A great relationship is a balance of give and take. When you approach a potential partner, don’t bother contacting them unless you know why they would want to speak with you. Know what you have to offer them.”
Well-established companies have a tremendous amount to contribute to entrepreneurs; often, these companies even have more to offer than a VC firm. When both partners know what they want out of the relationship and know what they’re willing to give, the end result for both can be more lucrative than what they would reach on their own.