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“Partnering” by Jean Oelwang

Tangible lessons from 65+ of the world's most remarkable partnerships.

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Friends and cofounders of Planet Heritage

Cindy Mercer and Addison Fischer

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Entrepreneurs, computer scientists, and early investors in data security and other tech sectors, Cindy Mercer and Addison Fischer founded Planet Heritage Foundation in 2008 to invest in marine conservation and climate change.

“Another thing was the sense that we really have each other’s back, and that we’re fundamentally for each other, and that’s gotten us through some tough times, and through taking on problems that looked far bigger than we could rationally take on. We had to hope for something before it actually materialized, and that’s one of your core gifts, you can see something before it exists, you have that vision. I am more of an implementer type person who wants to put the legs and feet on our dreams, and sometimes you keep me going, because you see the big picture of how it could turn out.”

Cindy Mercer

“In the work we do in the world no one really says a whole-hearted yes unless they feel completely free to say no. And we recognized that early on, that we both really valued choice and autonomy in our decision-making, how we apply that. So, we have an agreement, if we make a request of each other, and the other one isn’t 100% in with both feet, if we are not whole-hearted, then we stop, and we check in with each other, about why that is, and we keep drilling down on it.”

Cindy Mercer

“I think that’s also an essential thing here that we have such coherence, that there are not many points of conflict, and such a unified worldview. I think most of the discussion would be in terms of strategy, and allocation of resources, rather than a fundamental issue—more tactics than goals. It’s much easier to change tactics than it is to change a goal or world view. I think that’s the reason we don’t have any conflict, because there really is very little conflict in our relationship.”

Addison Fischer

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