Parasitism
Most relationships that business calls 'partnerships' are actually parasitism - one party extracts value while the other suffers.
Most 'partnerships' are parasitism disguised. One party extracts value, the other suffers.
Parasitism: One organism benefits at the other's expense. Tapeworms extract nutrients from their host's intestines. The host suffers malnutrition.
But parasitism can be far more sinister than simple extraction. The parasitic wasp Hymenoepimecis argyraphaga doesn't just feed on its spider host. It hijacks the spider's brain. The wasp larva, attached to the spider's abdomen, injects chemicals that reprogram web-building behavior. The spider - still alive, still conscious - builds a specialized web it would never naturally create, perfect for supporting the wasp's cocoon. Once complete, the wasp larvae eat the spider alive.
This is parasitism: one organism reprogramming another for extraction, ultimately destroying what it exploits.
Business Application of Parasitism
Most relationships that business calls 'partnerships' are actually parasitism - one party extracts value while the other suffers. Traditional banking in Kenya was parasitic (extracting fees from poor customers). Spotify initially looked parasitic to record labels. The 12-week restructuring playbook helps identify and exit parasitic relationships.