【正文】 that the momentum has suffered, tensions have crept in and the prospect of discontinuing the association is a real one. While this could occur for a variety of reasons, paradoxically this may result from close alignment between a startup and an MNC over time. Although a high degree of alignment, in terms of technology and business strategy, is a prerequisite for a close relationship with an MNC, it is conceivable that as time progresses and the offerings of each party evolve, there may be overlapping features and functionality that lead to friction. That is, what were initially plementary offerings could turn into petitive ones. The point here is that smooth sailing in a relationship with an MNC is not guaranteed to be a permanent state of affairs and that startups must be cognizant of the possibility that the more it aligns with an MNC over time, the more it could e into conflict with it. That said, startups and other small firms could take heart from the fact MNCs appear to be taking them more and more seriously, not least because – as evident from the observation noted at the outset – they recognize that they are engaged in a war of ecosystems. As a consequence, some MNCs have e up with innovations in their management of partnering with startups that, in turn, have been skillfully leveraged. In achieving this, it is especially vital that the startup be proactive in cultivating the relationship on the basis of reciprocity. This is seen, for example, in the case of Linxter?s thriving relationship with Microsoft (see Box). While such proactive behavior does not rule out the possibility of conflict down the road, it certainly provides scope for thoughtful entrepreneurs to navigate the rapids of MNC engagement for a considerable length of time. Linxter: Proactively leveraging an MNC partnering Initiative Multinational corporations (MNCs) have themselves begun to recognize the benefits of partnering with smaller firms, including startups. In some cases, innovative arrangements have 10 been put in place, typically in the form a partnering program. Such initiatives provide a welldefined point of entry into the MNC?s ecosystem and structure to the interactions between the young firm and MNC. BizSpark One, a partnering program run out of Microsoft?s Silicon Valley campus, is a striking example of the growing sophistication on the part of some large MNCs to actively engage with innovative startups. While many MNCs have partnering programs that cover a broad range of participants (including Microsoft?s own “regular” BizSpark program with over 35,000 members worldwide), the BizSpark One program is highly selective. With a worldwide capacity of 100 members, the goal of the program is to identify (through a rigorous selection procedure) and invite on to the program the most innovative startups that are likely to make a significant impact, and whose technology is aligned with Microsoft?s. In effect, Microsoft is seeking to foster the development of firms that may turn into significant partners in the future and also bee examples from which the thousands of other startups partnering with Microsoft can learn. The program provides startup members with the opportunity to fe a relationship with Microsoft on a onetoone basis (as opposed to the onetomany approach typical of most partnering programs) because startups get access to a named account manager, who frequently doubles as a mentor and also connects the startups to outside mentors with explicit experience in areas of needs. The program is time bound, normally with a 12month duration and operates in a range of geographies covering both advanced and emerging economies. Formed in late 2021, the program was intentionally launched without fanfare. Instead, the goal was to ?prove? itself and demonstrate its overarching goal of helping startups to succeed. The program?s most highprofile working event to date was the One Summit in Silicon Valley in October 2021, which brought together BizSpark One startups and other work partners and venture capitalists. Floridabased Linxter, which specializes in cloudbased messaging technology, illustrates how a young firm, by being proactive, could enable it to take advantage of the opportunity presented by an innovative partnering initiative such as Microsoft?s BizSpark One program. The proactiveness of this startup is evidenced in different phases of the relationship: forming, consolidating and extending. In forming its onetoone relationship with Microsoft via BizSpark One, Linxter?s CEO Jason Milgram was building upon the visibility he had proactively built within the local software munity through speaking engagements at technology conferences. In many of his talks Milgram discussed Microsoft?s cloudrelated technologies. This meant that when a Floridabased Microsoft manager was looking for prospective invitees to BizSpark One, Milgram was already on his radar. In consolidating this relationship, Milgram continued to be proactive because he believed that the onus was on him to make the most of it. He did so in multiple ways. He leveraged the Microsoft connection by using quotes from key managers in periodical press releases. He also reciprocated on publicity opportunities through, for instance, inviting Microsoft managers to discuss their partnering initiatives for startups on a Linxterrun podcast series. And he initiated dialogues with other Microsoft teams as well as other startups engaging with Microsoft to explore collaborative opportunities. Thus a strategy that Milgram effectively used was that of proactively creating multiple touchpoints within the Microsoft ecosystem. As for extending the relationship, following Linxter?s “graduation” from the BizSparkOne program in February 2021, Milgram was once again firmly on the radar of relevant Microsoft 11