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Hi Reader!
Collaborations are supposed to be fun, which is why we approach them differently than client work.
With clients, we worry that they will treat us poorly. But with collaborators, we assume that everything will go smoothly. And so we don’t have the same conversations (or put the same contracts) in place before we dive in.
That’s exactly what breaks most collaborations: unstated assumptions.
And we only realize that we had different assumptions when something happens.
- When they use the finished piece in a different way than you thought was allowed.
- When they expect you to pay for something that you didn’t realize was necessary.
- When they get busy with life and drop off the map, the collaboration comes to a standstill.
But here’s the mindset shift I want to share with you: contracts are there for everyone we work with to eliminate the assumption gap.
If we really believed that someone intended to screw us over, we wouldn’t be entering a business relationship with them.
Contracts exist to make sure you don’t unintentionally disappoint the other side because you weren’t on the same page. Contracts get everyone on the same page by literally getting everyone on the same page.
The length and detail included in your contract are relative to the kind of relationship you are entering into.
- A high-dollar contract with a new client would need a longer, more detailed contract.
- A short-term collaboration with a friend could have a simple email contract. (You can see the 6-sentence example I use in this week’s video.)
👉 Your action item |
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Write down one assumption you’ve made in a current or past collaboration that was never actually discussed. Did not stating this assumption cause any problems? If not, could it have? What can you do to have a conversation in the future to clear up this assumption? |
If you only have 20 minutes this week, the task above is the most important thing to do. But if you have a little more time, keep reading.
Chat soon,
P.S. If you are feeling unsettled by everything, you aren’t alone. One thing I did this week to help settle me was to follow an Instagram account that is tracking my state’s legislative session. In Utah, the session is only 45 days and started this week. So I now have a daily resource to check in and see what’s happening and if I need to make a call to my state representatives. (If you are also based in Utah, it’s @elevate_utah.)
The clause to notice
One small section of a contract that can have an outsized impact later.
This week’s clause: Scope of work
Scope of work is a great place to bust assumptions about what is (and isn’t) included. It’s the boundary-setting tool you didn’t know you needed.
One negotiation note: The scope of work is the perfect place to spell out who the decision makers are and what the approval process looks like. And where I envision your collaboration will communicate assumptions.
If contracts are starting to come up more often in your business, the Contract Decoder breaks down clauses like Scope of Work, so you know what they mean before you sign.
👉 Open the Contract Decoder
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LATEST VIDEO
Why collaborations go sideways and the tiny fix that stops it
Learn the simple disconnect that causes most collaboration hiccups and the 6-sentence email script you can use to fix it and keep creativity moving.
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Other things on my radar...
- Congress has introduced a bill that will increase the number of published photographs that can be included on a single copyright registration application from its current limit of 750 to 3,000. You can see the status of the bill here. And you can read a description of the bill here.
- While all of these FTC actions target rental property management companies, we are getting strong signals that the FTC is cracking down on price transparency. It’s a good reminder to double-check your own checkout process to make sure the final total doesn’t contain any surprises.
- Creating private-label versions of well-known products has always been a tricky field to navigate. And Trader Joe’s has landed in hot water over its new PB&J sandwich. It’s a good reminder that if you are creating your own version of a famous product, you need to do so thoughtfully, so you don’t end up in hot water (because even big brands sometimes toe the line).
- I saw my first Instagram ads this week that had a disclaimer that AI-actors were used. Have you seen them yet? If so, it’s likely because of this new New York state law requiring the disclosure of advertising that uses AI-actors.
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