The One Mistake I Have Rethought for Years: Choosing Partners
Recycling for Charity began with modest capital, as a limited liability company. The idea was clear, the cause was worthwhile, and the team was enthusiastic.
In the first year alone, together with the team, we managed to attract investments that exceeded the original capital many times over, and we converted the company into a closed joint-stock company. From the outside, that was a remarkable success by any measure.
But when I look back on the experience I ask myself only one question: what would I have done differently? And the answer is always the same: the choice of partners.
I did not have the right options at that time. I say this without bitterness, because this very lesson is what later shaped my conviction about governance. A partnership built on enthusiasm and personal trust alone works well as long as everything is going well, and it is exposed the moment the first disagreement arrives.
What I learned
- The quality of the partner decides the fate of the project more than the quality of the idea, and often more than the capital.
- Choosing partners should not be left to impressions or friendship. It needs written criteria before signing: what does each partner bring? How are disputes settled? What are the terms of exit?
- Fast growth in funding multiplies the impact of any flaw in the partnership instead of hiding it.
Governance is the organized answer to one question: how do we protect the project from our own mistakes?
Clear governance and documented decisions from inside your board, backed by long executive experience.
Mr. Ahmed AlAali
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