“Everybody’s gonna eat. Everybody’s gonna get this money. Everybody can be happy.”

- Ace (Paid In Full)

Here’s where we get personal - Paid In Full is one of my favorite movies of all time. To me, it’s a cinematic classic. Personally, I put it right up there with the Godfather (debate someone else). But I digress. For those who are unfamiliar, the story is set in Harlem in the 1980s and covers a range of themes including the underpinnings of 80’s street culture, a tale of innocence lost through circumstance, entrepreneurship and deep friendships only surpassed by deeper betrayal. It’s as if I grew up in Harlem - not exactly, but there are enough through lines and similarities in my coming of age that the story resonates deeply with me - something I’m sure is not unique to just myself. 

One of my favorite lines in the movie is a favorite refrain of one of the main characters, Ace: “Everybody Eats B”. The idea, generally applied, is that one would do better business-wise if everyone was doing well - in essence, positive sum games. There’s nothing radical about this paradigm or thinking - at its core these are just mutually beneficial partnerships. The concept is ingeniously simple but as is usually the case, in simplicity lives genius.  

Modern economic theory is built on concepts like scarcity and game theory where there are clear and distinct winners and losers. To be clear, I’m not suggesting there are no winners and losers in business or business building. That’s a fact of life - darwinesque in nature. What I am suggesting is that there is more than one way to win and, in my opinion, finding ways to build positive sum partnerships is a more sustainable, long-term strategy than going at it alone. 

For instance, let’s look at Alphabet (fka Google) and Apple. Many might consider these two tech giants rivals. And in some ways they are. But in what’s been Alphabet’s most important business line, search ads, the company has a longstanding partnership (since 2005) with Apple. It’s reported that Alphabet paid Apple approximately $18-20 billion in 2023 to remain the default search engine on Apple devices. That is just for 2023. 

From this perspective, Apple is more of a complement than a competitor. And the math is simple from both sides - Alphabet is willing to pay Apple this handsome sum because access to Apple devices increase the universe of users that potentially use Google search and in turn increase the amount of revenue Alphabet generates from search ads. Voila - a win-win partnership or positive sum game. Alphabet is able to grow its addressable universe and generate more revenue than it otherwise would be able to generate on its own and Apple receives what amounts to a royalty for sharing access to its hardware devices - a sum it’s unlikely to generate from any other search / ad based business. 

*For reference, see some additional examples of positive sum partnerships here: 

• Android x Hardware Manufacturers not named Apple

• Uber x Spotify

• Stripe x Shopify

• Amazon x Rivian

• Rivian x Volkswagen

• Square x DoorDash 

• Tesla x Panasonic

The general idea in positive sum games is that through a mutually beneficial partnership both parties are better off working together than they would be without the partnership or going it alone. So the million dollar question (or $20 billion question) is why don’t more companies, startups and even investment managers play positive sum games? Generally, zero sum games are the default thinking and are easier to operate within. It also builds upon the idea that success stems from a singular source or the idea that it is achieved without the help or contribution of others. Clearly, that’s patently false - the business owner and entrepreneur’s success depends on their teams, business success is dependent on users and customers, a tree's success is dependent on both precipitation & the Sun and as infant, your success is dependent on your parent/s, family and community; these are a just a few examples but the point is nothing exists in isolation, and therefore we're all dependent on elements outside our own abilities to a certain extent. 

Cool story but why does this matter? Because in today’s environment where for most companies the name of the game is survival, leveraging positive sum thinking can help operators navigate and thrive in the storm. Particularly for early stage companies and startups, the last 18-24 months have been challenging. The hope has been that we’re heading into a period of elevated growth and better prospects. My view is that we’re likely to continue seeing a challenging operating environment over the next 12-18 months for a variety of reasons I’ll enumerate in a different post. To better weather the storm, companies should leverage positive sum games to create win-win situations that wouldn't be possible if they relied solely on their own resources or know-how. 

Some practical reasons for searching these positive sum games out include:

• Expand your reach by leveraging partner distribution channels to access new target audiences

• Increase revenue potential through sharing agreements that multiply your addressable market

• Create memorable experiences by developing activations that give customers unique in-person interactions

• Build stronger brand awareness through campaigns that reach previously inaccessible customer segments

• Establish mutual commitment by bringing in partners who become invested in your shared success

• Accelerate growth by acquiring expertise that might otherwise take years of trial and error to develop

While the idea of positive sum games or win-win partnerships isn't new in theory, their implementation is rare enough to make me wonder why more companies don't actively seek them out. Last year, I had the opportunity to meet a talented entrepreneur and investor in NYC. He co-founded three successful companies (two unicorns) and launched a fund to help build the next generation of entrepreneurs across Africa. When I asked what the through lines were for the success he was able to achieve with each business, his answer, almost without hesitation, was positive sum games - the solution from his aim was to build each business on win-win partnerships. This approach isn't limited to certain business types or exceptional entrepreneurs—it's a universal strategy for creating value. If the goal of business is to “win” or as I like to think, create value for an end customer or user, why not stack the odds in your favor by playing positive sum games? 

“Everybody’s gonna eat. Everybody’s gonna get this money. Everybody can be happy.”

- Ace (Paid In Full)

Here’s where we get personal - Paid In Full is one of my favorite movies of all time. To me, it’s a cinematic classic. Personally, I put it right up there with the Godfather (debate someone else). But I digress. For those who are unfamiliar, the story is set in Harlem in the 1980s and covers a range of themes including the underpinnings of 80’s street culture, a tale of innocence lost through circumstance, entrepreneurship and deep friendships only surpassed by deeper betrayal. It’s as if I grew up in Harlem - not exactly, but there are enough through lines and similarities in my coming of age that the story resonates deeply with me - something I’m sure is not unique to just myself. 

One of my favorite lines in the movie is a favorite refrain of one of the main characters, Ace: “Everybody Eats B”. The idea, generally applied, is that one would do better business-wise if everyone was doing well - in essence, positive sum games. There’s nothing radical about this paradigm or thinking - at its core these are just mutually beneficial partnerships. The concept is ingeniously simple but as is usually the case, in simplicity lives genius.  

Modern economic theory is built on concepts like scarcity and game theory where there are clear and distinct winners and losers. To be clear, I’m not suggesting there are no winners and losers in business or business building. That’s a fact of life - darwinesque in nature. What I am suggesting is that there is more than one way to win and, in my opinion, finding ways to build positive sum partnerships is a more sustainable, long-term strategy than going at it alone. 

For instance, let’s look at Alphabet (fka Google) and Apple. Many might consider these two tech giants rivals. And in some ways they are. But in what’s been Alphabet’s most important business line, search ads, the company has a longstanding partnership (since 2005) with Apple. It’s reported that Alphabet paid Apple approximately $18-20 billion in 2023 to remain the default search engine on Apple devices. That is just for 2023. 

From this perspective, Apple is more of a complement than a competitor. And the math is simple from both sides - Alphabet is willing to pay Apple this handsome sum because access to Apple devices increase the universe of users that potentially use Google search and in turn increase the amount of revenue Alphabet generates from search ads. Voila - a win-win partnership or positive sum game. Alphabet is able to grow its addressable universe and generate more revenue than it otherwise would be able to generate on its own and Apple receives what amounts to a royalty for sharing access to its hardware devices - a sum it’s unlikely to generate from any other search / ad based business. 

*For reference, see some additional examples of positive sum partnerships here: 

• Android x Hardware Manufacturers not named Apple

• Uber x Spotify

• Stripe x Shopify

• Amazon x Rivian

• Rivian x Volkswagen

• Square x DoorDash 

• Tesla x Panasonic

The general idea in positive sum games is that through a mutually beneficial partnership both parties are better off working together than they would be without the partnership or going it alone. So the million dollar question (or $20 billion question) is why don’t more companies, startups and even investment managers play positive sum games? Generally, zero sum games are the default thinking and are easier to operate within. It also builds upon the idea that success stems from a singular source or the idea that it is achieved without the help or contribution of others. Clearly, that’s patently false - the business owner and entrepreneur’s success depends on their teams, business success is dependent on users and customers, a tree's success is dependent on both precipitation & the Sun and as infant, your success is dependent on your parent/s, family and community; these are a just a few examples but the point is nothing exists in isolation, and therefore we're all dependent on elements outside our own abilities to a certain extent. 

Cool story but why does this matter? Because in today’s environment where for most companies the name of the game is survival, leveraging positive sum thinking can help operators navigate and thrive in the storm. Particularly for early stage companies and startups, the last 18-24 months have been challenging. The hope has been that we’re heading into a period of elevated growth and better prospects. My view is that we’re likely to continue seeing a challenging operating environment over the next 12-18 months for a variety of reasons I’ll enumerate in a different post. To better weather the storm, companies should leverage positive sum games to create win-win situations that wouldn't be possible if they relied solely on their own resources or know-how. 

Some practical reasons for searching these positive sum games out include:

• Expand your reach by leveraging partner distribution channels to access new target audiences

• Increase revenue potential through sharing agreements that multiply your addressable market

• Create memorable experiences by developing activations that give customers unique in-person interactions

• Build stronger brand awareness through campaigns that reach previously inaccessible customer segments

• Establish mutual commitment by bringing in partners who become invested in your shared success

• Accelerate growth by acquiring expertise that might otherwise take years of trial and error to develop

While the idea of positive sum games or win-win partnerships isn't new in theory, their implementation is rare enough to make me wonder why more companies don't actively seek them out. Last year, I had the opportunity to meet a talented entrepreneur and investor in NYC. He co-founded three successful companies (two unicorns) and launched a fund to help build the next generation of entrepreneurs across Africa. When I asked what the through lines were for the success he was able to achieve with each business, his answer, almost without hesitation, was positive sum games - the solution from his aim was to build each business on win-win partnerships. This approach isn't limited to certain business types or exceptional entrepreneurs—it's a universal strategy for creating value. If the goal of business is to “win” or as I like to think, create value for an end customer or user, why not stack the odds in your favor by playing positive sum games?