Dealmaking is not about their LinkedIn profile. It’s about whether you can build something together.
A mentor may help you. But they’re not your partner. Don’t confuse the two. And don’t try to force a partnership where there’s no shared risk or incentive.
If someone is clearly helping more than they gain, it's a mentor dynamic. That's precious, but don't ruin it by asking for a deal they're not willing to make.
What Dealmaking Really Is
At its core, dealmaking is:
- A way of asking: “What are we building?”
- A method of answering: “What do we each put in, and what do we each get out?”
- A filter to detect: “Will this relationship survive stress, failure, and change?”
It’s not about getting the most. It’s about creating something that lasts.
If you get good at dealmaking, you’ll avoid toxic partnerships, spot real opportunities, and build systems that keep moving even when the people in them change.
And that, to me, is the real engine behind any successful business.
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