Joint Venture Proposal

---
name: joint-venture-proposal
description: "Writes joint venture proposals with value exchange, revenue sharing, responsibilities, and exit terms."
allowed-tools: Read Write Glob
metadata:
  author: matthewhitcham
  version: "1.0"
---

# Joint Venture Proposal

## When to Use This Skill

Use this skill when you need to:
- Write a joint venture proposal to pitch a partnership with another business
- Define revenue sharing, responsibilities, and exit terms for a JV
- Create a formal proposal that outlines mutual benefits and deal structure
- Propose a co-created product, event, or campaign with a specific partner

**DO NOT** use this skill for affiliate agreements, referral partnerships, or employment contracts. This is for joint ventures where two parties co-invest resources to create shared value.

---

## Core Principle

A JOINT VENTURE PROPOSAL MUST ANSWER ONE QUESTION CONVINCINGLY: WHY IS THIS PARTNERSHIP MORE VALUABLE THAN EITHER PARTY ACTING ALONE — IF YOU CANNOT QUANTIFY THE MULTIPLIER, THE DEAL IS NOT READY.

---

## Phase 1: Brief

### Required Inputs

| Input | What to Ask | Default |
|-------|------------|---------|
| **Partner name** | "Who are you proposing this JV to?" | No default — must be provided |
| **JV concept** | "What will you create or sell together?" | No default — must be provided |
| **Your contribution** | "What do you bring? (audience, product, expertise, capital)" | No default — must be provided |
| **Their contribution** | "What does the partner bring?" | No default — must be provided |
| **Revenue model** | "How will money be made and split?" | 50/50 revenue share |
| **Duration** | "Is this a one-time project or ongoing partnership?" | One-time project with renewal option |

**GATE: Confirm the brief before drafting the proposal.**

---

## Phase 2: Structure

### Proposal Architecture

```
1. Executive Summary — the opportunity in 3-4 sentences
2. The Opportunity — market need and why now
3. Partnership Value — what each party brings, why together > alone
4. Deliverables — what will be created
5. Revenue Model — how money flows, revenue split
6. Responsibilities — who does what, with deadlines
7. Timeline — key milestones and dates
8. Terms — duration, exclusivity, IP, exit
9. Next Steps — how to move forward
```

### Value Exchange Matrix

```
| | You Bring | Partner Brings |
|---|----------|---------------|
| **Audience** | [Size, demographics] | [Size, demographics] |
| **Expertise** | [Specific skills] | [Specific skills] |
| **Assets** | [Products, content, tech] | [Products, content, tech] |
| **Capital** | [Investment if any] | [Investment if any] |
| **Combined value** | [Why 1+1=3] |
```

**GATE: Present the structure and value exchange for approval.**

---

## Phase 3: Write

### Writing Rules

- Lead with the partner's benefit, not yours
- Quantify everything possible (audience size, projected revenue, time savings)
- Be specific about responsibilities — vague roles create conflict
- Include an exit clause — good partnerships plan for all outcomes
- Keep the tone confident and professional, not salesy

### Proposal Sections

**Executive Summary (150-200 words)**
- What the JV is, who benefits, projected outcome
- Written so a busy executive understands the deal in 60 seconds

**The Opportunity**
- Market data or trend supporting the concept
- Gap that this JV fills
- Timing — why this should happen now

**Partnership Value**
- Your contribution with specifics
- Their contribution with specifics
- The multiplier effect — what the combined effort produces

**Revenue Model**
```
Revenue source: [Product/service/event]
Projected revenue: $[amount] based on [assumptions]
Split: [X%] to [You] / [Y%] to [Partner]
Payment schedule: [When and how payments are made]
Expense handling: [Who covers what costs]
```

**Responsibilities Matrix**
```
| Task | Owner | Deadline |
|------|-------|----------|
| [Task 1] | [You / Partner] | [Date] |
| [Task 2] | [You / Partner] | [Date] |
```

**Terms**
- Duration and renewal conditions
- Exclusivity scope (if any)
- IP ownership for co-created assets
- Confidentiality expectations
- Exit clause with notice period
- Dispute resolution process

---

## Phase 4: Polish

### 1. Partner Personalization

Review the proposal for:
- References to the partner's specific brand, audience, or achievements
- Alignment with their known business goals
- Language that matches their communication style
- No generic or template-feeling sections

### 2. Risk Mitigation

Address potential objections proactively:
```
## Addressed Risks
- **Time commitment:** Estimated [X hours/week] for [Y weeks]
- **Financial risk:** Expenses capped at $[amount] per party
- **Reputation risk:** Approval process for all co-branded materials
- **Exit risk:** Either party can exit with [X days] notice
```

### 3. Proposal Checklist

```
- [ ] Executive summary is under 200 words
- [ ] Partner's benefit is mentioned before yours
- [ ] Revenue projections include assumptions
- [ ] Every responsibility has an owner and deadline
- [ ] Exit clause is fair to both parties
- [ ] IP ownership is explicitly defined
- [ ] Next steps include a specific date or action
```

---

## Example 1: Course Co-Creation JV

```
Concept: Co-create a premium course combining your content expertise with their audience
You bring: Course content, teaching expertise (500 hours of curriculum)
They bring: Email list of 25,000, marketing engine, brand trust
Revenue: $997 course, 50/50 split after $5,000 in shared expenses
Projected: 200 sales = $199,400 gross, ~$94,700 each
```

## Example 2: Live Event JV

```
Concept: Co-host a 2-day conference combining both audiences
You bring: Speaker network, content curation, 5,000-person email list
They bring: Venue relationship, local audience of 8,000, event logistics
Revenue: Ticket sales + sponsorships, 50/50 after expenses
Projected: 300 attendees at $497 = $149,100 gross
```

---

## Anti-Patterns

- **Leading with your needs** — the proposal must show why this benefits the PARTNER. They are the decision maker.
- **Vague revenue projections** — "we could make a lot of money" is not a business case. Show the math with conservative assumptions.
- **No exit clause** — partnerships without exit terms become hostage situations. Define the off-ramp upfront.
- **Unequal effort, equal split** — if one party does 80% of the work, a 50/50 split breeds resentment. Match the split to the contribution.
- **Skipping IP ownership** — who owns the course, the email list, the brand assets after the JV ends? Define it now.
- **Proposing to strangers** — JV proposals work best after you have an existing relationship. Cold JV pitches almost always fail.

---

## Recovery

- **User does not know the partner well:** Recommend building the relationship first. Suggest a smaller collaboration (guest blog, podcast swap) before proposing a JV.
- **Revenue projections are speculative:** Use conservative estimates (50% of optimistic projections). Show three scenarios: conservative, expected, optimistic.
- **Partner has a much larger audience:** Adjust the split to reflect contribution value, not just revenue. Offer a 60/40 or 70/30 split favoring the partner.
- **User is unsure about terms:** Default to a short-term pilot (90 days) with a renewal option. Lower commitment reduces partner hesitation.