Can we talk about how I spent 6 months insisting referral partnerships were a waste of time

It took one client bringing in $12,000 through a referral from a competitor I used to badmouth for me to admit I was completely wrong about collaboration vs competition.

3 comments

3 Comments

jamie_smith1mo ago

Well, that's how life goes. Sometimes you gotta eat crow to learn a lesson.

james_kim1mo ago

Bro, you got lucky. One referral doesn't prove anything. I've been burned twice by so-called partners who took my leads and ran. Had a guy I referred to my old web dev client, he promised a 50/50 split and then ghosted me. Took me months to rebuild that trust. And your competitor throwing you a bone? Maybe he just wanted to look good while keeping the real high-value referrals for himself. You can't build a business on handouts and favors. You need systems, contracts, and clear boundaries, not just warm fuzzies from people who might screw you later.

logan2051mo ago

If referrals work once, they probably work more often - just gotta find partners who actually like you.