There’s gold in them thar hills.

Mara McMahon

January 22, 2021

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Data is the new gold; partnership is the new boot strap

According to some people, in 1849 from the steps of the Lumpkin County Courthouse, a Dahlonega, Georgia Mint assayer, Dr. M. F. Stephenson, yelled to the townspeople “There’s gold in them thar hills!” He wanted to keep those people looking for gold in Georgia rather than leaving for California. Today, in the journey to achieving business outcomes in the digital world, we hear statements about the gold of today - such as this article written by the World Economic Forum titled “Data is the new gold. This is how it can benefit everyone— while harming no one.”

As was true for the gold enthusiasts in Georgia, it doesn’t make sense for us to set off on the trail willy-nilly or look to just pull ourselves up by our bootstraps. We need the right partners and the right plan to get there successfully.

Once you decide to go for the gold, you’ll need to partner with the right people, make a plan to get to the gold, and mine it expertly. There’s so much more power in partnership than in going it alone.

Think about it. From the moment we engage with someone (anyone) we are in partnership with them in some form or fashion.

Partnership can mean different things to different people. But in terms of a business partnership, Wikipedia defines it as when two or more parties “agree to cooperate to advance their mutual interests.” I don’t know about you, but mutual interests in my mind means mutual business goals: mitigating risk, increasing revenue, minimizing cost, ensuring compliance, and more.

Let’s simplify what a good business partnership is: I or we provide you with content, resources, and proven methodology that helps you make more money faster. Because what we’re doing together helps, you buy more of my product/service/technology. We have a good partnership.

A partnership is a two-way street. It’s about reciprocity. Combined resources. Working together to achieve a goal. At NetApp, we constantly strive to deliver compelling, positive business outcomes profitably. We do that within NetApp, with partners, and for customers.

Speaking of goals, you might know where you want to go (or what you want to achieve), but you need a plan for how to get there. Directions based on experience greatly improve your opportunity to succeed. Finding the right partner is essential.

Check out this NetApp Gold video, where we talk about what it takes to have a good partnership.

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