The one phrase that ended a $50M deal

"The fine line between hype and lying"

Partnerships are built on relationships. And relationships are powered by trust.

As the saying goes“trust takes years to build, seconds to break and forever to repair.” I have never before found a story that demonstrates that saying more clearly and succinctly than the Twitter thread below from Ali Partovi, who was CEO of iLike, a music app founded in 2006. iLike was acquired by MySpace in 2009. But as you will read below, iLike came within inches of being acquired by Apple. One phrase made all the difference. So close, yet so far …

I don't know Ali Partovi but I imagine that before his meeting with Steve Jobs he had a tendency “to take liberties with the truth.” Many CEOs do. Many people do. But few of us face the consequences as clearly as Ali did.

“They way you do anything is the way you do everything,” as Jess Sims says. The small habits you form here and there are what make or break you in the moments that really matter. This is true in every aspect of life, from work to health to relationships. And it is as much an opportunity as it is a threat to your success.