Home How partnerships work
Operating partner, for equity
How partnerships work
We build and grow search-led businesses with founders, for equity, not fees. Both sides put something real in, the terms are written down before work starts, and we agree up front what would make us stop.
The exchange
You bring the position. We bring the build and the growth.
We do not sell retainers or bill by the hour. The payday is ownership, so both sides have to put something real in.
What partners bring
At least one of these:
- Capital for the build and for media.
- Real domain expertise, or a license to operate.
- An existing audience or customer base.
- A regulatory or data position we cannot buy.
- An asset with proven demand: a domain with traffic, or a site with revenue.
What we bring
In every partnership:
- MVP build and project management, from concept to live.
- Paid search.
- AI advertising and GEO.
- Affiliate marketing and lead generation.
- Measurement and funnel economics.
- Twenty years of search economics.
An idea alone is not enough. We partner where both sides put something real in.
How the money works
No blueprint. A fair deal for the situation.
Every deal is different. Terms depend on what each side already has in place, what each brings at the start, and the work still to be done. We know what we bring, we do not over-negotiate, and we look for a fair structure where every partner can see the upside.
Media spend
Media is the real capital in a search-led business, so who funds it is one of the first things we settle. It depends on the deal: the partner, the venture, or shared, agreed in writing before anything launches.
Build costs
Tools, hosting, data, and licenses are kept lean on purpose: the first version only needs to prove demand. Who covers them depends on what each side brings.
Our share
No retainers and no hourly fees. Equity, a share of the upside, or a mix, with milestones where they make sense, set to match what each side brings and the work ahead.
Terms in writing, kill criteria up front
Before any work starts, a written agreement signed by both sides sets out who brings what, who funds what, the share, the milestones, and who makes which decisions.
It also sets the kill criteria: what has to move, by when, and how much can be spent finding out. We launch lean, read the data, then stop or scale. Stopping early is a result, not a failure.
How a partnership starts
Four steps, no surprises.
Show us the position.
Use the contact form to tell us what you bring and what demand you can show.
We look at the numbers.
Search demand, margin, lifetime value, and what it would take to win, before anyone commits.
We agree terms in writing.
Who brings what, who funds what, the share, the milestones, and the kill criteria, signed by both sides.
We build and run it together.
No hand-offs. We launch lean, read the data, then stop or scale.
A good fit if
- You have real search demand you can show.
- You bring something beyond the idea: capital, expertise, an audience, a position, or an asset.
- You are willing to agree terms, milestones, and kill criteria in writing.
- You are in or near a regulated, deadline-driven, or high-intent category.
Not a fit if
- An idea with no demand data behind it.
- You are looking for a vendor, or someone to build a site for hire.
- There is no budget for media and no asset to offset it.
- You want us to do the work while you hold the equity.
Questions
Do you work for fees or by the hour?
No. We do not take retainers or bill hours. We work for equity or a share of the upside, agreed in writing.
What does a typical deal look like?
There is no typical deal. Terms depend on what each side already has in place, what each brings at the start, and the work to be done after. We do not over-negotiate. We look for a fair structure where every partner can see the upside.
Who pays for ads?
It depends on the deal: the partner, the venture, or shared. Whoever it is, the budget and its limits are agreed in writing before anything launches.
What if it does not work?
We agree kill criteria up front: what has to move, by when, and how much can be spent finding out. We launch lean, read the data, then stop or scale. Stopping early is a result, not a failure.
Do you build sites for hire?
No. We build the first version of ventures we partner on, as part of the partnership.
Who does the work?
The people who scope the work are the people who do it. Nothing gets passed down to a junior team after the first call.
Where are you based?
In Taiwan, with regular time in Japan and the US. We work across Asia and North America, mostly in English, in whatever time zone the work needs.
Selective by design.
We take on a small number of partnerships at a time. If you can show the demand and bring something real, we are glad to compare notes.