So I basically facilitate startup collaborations for a living. I've done 19 so far. I'm helping almost 200 startups and here are some takeaways that I've learned:

After I set up a collaboration for a startup, they always ask, "Why would I want another one?"

My answer is quite simple because there are different use cases based on where you're at in the journey.

Validation stage

If I'm talking to a startup that is at the validation stage, I know how to use rev share collaborations for validation.

Instead of doing pre-purchases, getting forms, and doing market research, which usually aren't that good an indication of what you want, what you want is skin in the game.

Ideally pre-purchases but that's really hard.

The second-best option I found is convincing people who know the industry you're trying to break into to help you bring your business to market through rev share collaborations.

What that does is it kills two birds with one stone.

You have knowledgeable people in this space, that are putting skin in the game through upfront work without any certain compensation.

If you can do that with two, three, or four people, even one is a sign of validation.

Additionally, they now bring the resources, expertise, network, and access you need to actually get your startup to market.

Scaling stage

The second step in the journey is when you're at the scaling phase, when you already have something that's working and you just need to scale.

If you can figure out a way to do that systematically with multiple collaborations, it basically gives off the same illusion as having unlimited money because you have theoretically unlimited access to resources.

If you can figure out how to do that through rev share collaborations, this I like to call resource financing. I find it quite fun.

Enterprise stage

The last step is when you're an enterprise, you're up and running, and you have scaled your business.

You have your corner of the market.

The next step here is to evolve, to not get stationary, to not get eaten by competition.

The way you do that is through innovation.

To innovate once again you need skills, resources, and access, which you now have internally.

You use collaborations to mix the internal with the external.

You use collaborations to allow employees in your organization to come up with their own ideas and collaborate freely internally and externally, most likely through rev share or profit share collaborations, to then get the validation and then scale it.

It's the same playbook on repeat but now you have systems for it internally.

I've spent the last four to five years studying collaborations and how it's applicable in different steps of your journey. I just wanted to share this with you guys hoping it was valuable.