What do you want?

When you work together with two people, it’s often the default to assume you want the same things out of the project. The project seems like a good idea, so two people partner on creating something. But somewhere along the way, you realize that you’re ultimately wanting a couple different things out of the project.

One person wants to grow the company, one person wants to sell the company.

One person wants to stay in California, one wants to move to Indiana.

One person is in it for the money, one person wants to make a difference.

And this doesn’t have to just be a project or business relationship. Often the differences can occur in many other relationships (marriage being the most obvious).

No matter what kind of relationship you’re entering, it’s best to ask the hard questions before you embark. You want to know where the other wants to go.