A strong business partnership is based on trust, shared values, and a commitment to the good of the company. Let's look at the 10 most iconic business partnerships and what made them so successful.
William Procter and James Gamble
In 1837, William Procter, a British candlemaker, and James Gamble, an Irish soapmaker, formed the manufacturing company Procter & Gamble. The company's first few products were Ivory soap, Crisco shortening, and Tide detergent. By combining their skills and resources, Procter and Gamble could offer a wider range of products without competing with one another.
Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak
Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak co-founded Apple Computer in 1976. Wozniak was an engineer passionate about building computers, and Jobs understood product design and business strategy. These complementary skill sets and a shared vision allowed Apple to become one of the most successful companies in the world.
Warren Buffett and Charlie Munger
Warren Buffett and Charlie Munger transformed Berkshire Hathaway from a small textile manufacturer into a multinational conglomerate holding company. In interviews, Buffett and Munger said the partnership works well because they tend to think alike.
In a 2014 shareholder meeting, Buffett said that while he and Munger disagree on many things, they never argue. "And it's just never led, and never will, lead to an argument. We argue with other people."
Bill Hewlett and Dave Packard
Bill Hewlett and Dave Packard met at Stanford University and created the Hewlett-Packard Company in 1938. Both men came from small towns, shared similar values, and were engineers, but each brought different skill sets to the partnership. Hewlett was trained in circuit technology, while Packard understood manufacturing processes.
Both men were pragmatic, never wanting to push the business beyond what it could handle. The company went public in 1957 and made the Fortune 500 list in 1962.
In a 2014 shareholder meeting, Buffett said that while he and Munger disagree on many things, they never argue. 'And it's just never led, and never will, lead to an argument. We argue with other people.'
Larry Page and Sergey Brin
Larry Page and Sergey Brin first met during a campus tour of Stanford University for doctoral students and didn't like each other at first. They were paired together for a PhD project, and their paper, "The Anatomy of a Large-Scale Hypertextual Web Search Engine," became the basis for Google.
Both Page and Brin were motivated to be the best and weren't afraid to make controversial decisions and face public backlash. Google is currently the third-largest company in the world, falling short of Apple and Microsoft.
Paul Allen and Bill Gates
Microsoft Co-Founders Paul Allen and Bill Gates met in high school in Seattle and bonded over their shared interest in computer programming. Gates eventually dropped out of college at Harvard to start Microsoft with Allen, and it currently has a market cap of over $3 trillion.
Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield
In 1978, Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield started the Vermont-based ice cream business Ben & Jerry's. The company is currently a global brand, and the two co-founders are still good friends. They stated that the partnership works well because they have different skill sets but share many values. For example, their focus on social and environmental issues has shaped the culture of Ben & Jerry's.
Mark Zuckerberg and Sheryl Sandberg
Mark Zuckerberg and Sheryl Sandberg worked together at Facebook from 2008 until 2022, when Sandberg resigned from her role as chief operating officer. While working together, Sandberg stated that they preferred to "divide and conquer." Often, Zuckerberg focused on the product side while Sandberg focused on the business side. Their partnership turned Facebook into one of the most successful global companies.
Oprah Winfrey and Mindy Grossman
Oprah Winfrey joined WW (formerly Weight Watchers) as a shareholder in 2015 and worked closely with former CEO Mindy Grossman. This business partnership helped rebrand WW away from weight loss to focus on overall wellness.
Reed Hastings and Marc Randolph
Reed Hastings and Marc Randolph launched Netflix in 2007 and today, it's the largest streaming service in the world. Hastings and Randolph had a shared vision but went about it in different ways.
Hastings was focused on creating an excellent user experience, while Randolph wanted to build scalable systems. They respected each other's diverse perspectives and put the good of the company first, with Randolph eventually stepping aside and Hastings scaling Netflix.
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