from Paul Graham | by Paul Graham

When you're doing a deal with a large organization, find out if the people you're negotiating with actually have final say. Usually they don't, and that means the deal you've agreed upon can be, and often is, killed at the last minute by higher ups.

Here's a simpler version that works just as well in practice: when making a deal with a large organization, no matter what they say, assume the deal will be cancelled at the last moment.

This doesn't just mean "don't get your hopes up." It also has practical consequences. It means you should actively pursue other alternatives in parallel.

Though they may be composed of upstanding individuals, the structure of large organizations causes them to behave in ways that would be evil, if they were an individual person. So remember, whenever you're dealing with a large organization, you're also dealing with an evil one.