👥There are many things I do with someone else, and there are those I do alone. For me, partnership means understanding that I am not living in this world by myself. That’s why I’m open to doing some projects or tasks solo, and others in partnership with someone else. Partnership with a person is not about shares or percentages of a business. It’s about projects you do together, moving forward side by side.
A partnership can be short-term or long-term. It can arise with people with whom you co-own a business, with those you work for, or those who work for you, with teams or individuals, with companies. There is also partnership with your spouse. In other words, there are various types of partnerships.
A good partnership is one where there is openness, where people communicate calmly and honestly. It’s where a positive energy emerges because both parties feel comfortable together. The absence of rigid expectations is fundamental here. Agreements may exist, but strict expectations—where you demand something must happen exactly as you envisioned—can lead to disappointment and pain if reality unfolds differently.
A good partnership is where I genuinely try to hear the other person, listen attentively, and remember what they say. A good partnership is also where the other person listens to me, tries to understand me. It’s a setting where each partner can freely voice their interests while acknowledging that the other has their own interests—and that the other person has every right to them. For example, if I head home to my children in the evening, the other person may head to a club. If one likes surfing and the other doesn’t, they accept that they have different interests.
This means they don’t impose their thoughts, circumstances, tasks, or problems on each other. True partnership is when people are free and live in a state of freedom. Partnership might initially seem like a tie that binds, but in reality, it’s about freedom. A genuine, honest partnership is rooted in freedom. From this freedom and purity of your own decisions, you choose to take on certain commitments within the partnership.
Freedom doesn’t mean you can just walk away without consideration. If at some point you feel the need to leave the partnership, you strive to ensure a smooth transition—finding a replacement for yourself or setting up a system so that the partnership can end harmoniously. Freedom thus includes honesty and responsibility. When you are honest and speak truthfully, you understand why you are in this partnership. You remain not because you are constrained, but because you choose to, aligned with your inner clarity and mutual respect.
I’ve had various partnerships. For example, in my first software development company, I had a partnership first with one former classmate, then another. Eventually, we parted ways. That was an instance where our goals diverged, and we operated from different motives.
In many partnerships, when problems arise, they often stem not from the business itself, but from issues within the partnership.
In “Business Molodost” there was a significant partnership more than 10 years ago. In “AGRO24” with Andrey Rogachev (Listed in Forbes), I experienced a meaningful partnership that taught me a lot and led me to approach things differently—more consciously, I would say. Back then, my thinking was not as it is now. The same applies to my first company “iTech Group” and “Business Molodost.” By the time of “AGRO24,” I acted based on these more mature principles. Another important partnership for me was in “GeekBrains,” where I acted according to my evolved thinking more than ever before. Probably one of the most significant business partnerships I’ve had.
Outside of business, of course, I have a partnership with my wife. I also have partnerships in my spiritual life, spiritual projects that are very important to me.
Almost all my significant business partnerships involved close contact. The more time you spend together, the deeper the connection becomes. Plus, it depends on openness. I am quite open as a person, with a large circle of contacts and many friends. I’ve never really been alone in the basic sense of friendship. I’ve always had people to meet and discuss various details and topics.
In the context of business, friendships often arose. These partners weren’t necessarily my closest friends, but we had friendly relations. I always had others who were closer to me in terms of friendship and personal connections. I’m quite calm about this, allocating more attention here, less there. I know that now I would act differently than I did 10 years ago. That’s obvious.
Is friendship possible in business? Yes, it is. At the same time, business and partnership can exist without friendship, built purely on business relations. Both scenarios are possible. I know this. Partnerships develop naturally.
Friendship is not a principle of business. If it becomes the sole basis of a business, I’m unlikely to enter such a structure. I wouldn’t say, “We’re doing business only because we are friends.” I’d look for other reasons why I want to work with this person. If we’re doing business for financial reasons, I wouldn’t force a principle that we must be friends. These things are parallel, not necessarily connected.