My First Million

The best business ideas come from noticing what's working and doing it better, faster, or for a different audience.

Business methodology

Shift from win-lose to collaborative negotiation approaches

Timeframe: 5-10 year shift already underway

What's Changing

Business negotiations moving from adversarial tactics (leverage, pressure, win-lose) to collaborative approaches focused on trust, information sharing, and mutual benefit

Driving Forces

Long-term relationships more valuable than short-term wins

Information asymmetries are the real value creator

Implementation success requires genuine buy-in

Reputation and network effects matter more in connected economy

Winners

Negotiators who can build genuine trust quickly
Companies that focus on implementation success over contract terms
Professionals who master tactical empathy and information gathering
Organizations that train collaborative negotiation systematically

Losers

Aggressive negotiators who rely on leverage and pressure
Companies that optimize for short-term contract wins
Professionals stuck in traditional positional bargaining
Organizations that haven't adapted their negotiation training

How to Position Yourself

Invest in relationship-building skills over pressure tactics

Focus on understanding proprietary information and constraints

Measure success by implementation quality not just contract terms

Build reputation for trustworthy, collaborative deal-making

Early Signals to Watch

Corporate training budgets shifting to collaboration skillsDeal success metrics expanding beyond financial termsRise of relationship management roles in B2B companiesIncreased focus on post-deal implementation success

Example Implementation

“A private equity firm changes their acquisition approach from aggressive due diligence and leverage to collaborative information sharing, resulting in better deal terms, faster closes, and superior post-acquisition performance.”