(Total read time: 6 minutes)

THE APPETIZER

Happy post Valentines Day…Day. Patty Hack: Great day for easy to find dinner reservations, and to buy flowers/candy. Consider celebrating Feb. 15th next year. Great life hack. 

That being said, I am always one for extravagant dates but one day I take off from extravagance is Valentine’s Day. Why? Because you don’t need a day to show love to your partner. It’s an everyday action that should make everyday feel like Valentine's Day. 

But, I hope that didn’t stop you from having an amazing date! Think you did better than the rest? Submit your your best date by responding to this email!

I will be highlighting the best date submissions in the next release of the Secret Sauce so show some love and give us some great ideas! 

And with this all being said, today I am going to have our main course on a subject which unknown to many and known to those close to me is my passion…. Love & Relationships. 

So sit back, relax, and get ready to have a love filled sauced up newsletter.

- Patrick Frank

But first…..

PAT’S SNAPPLE CAP

• Where did Valentines Day even come from? Every fact you need to know about the Love Holiday. (LINK) 

• OpenTable’s Top 100 Most Romantic Restaurants In the US: (LINK)

• Planning an event? Apple is making moves to kick Partiful out of the Party: (LINK)

• Speaking of love…Ai companions are on the rise. Everything you need to know about them. (LINK).... And where to find them: (LINK) 

• What accounts on social media are getting all of the love? Check out the most followed and engaged accounts on every social platform: (LINK)

  Quote: Keeping on the theme of love, below is a quote from James Sexton who has been one of the most impactful voices on love and relationships that I have come across in my entire life. As the #1 divorce attorney in the United States, one could say that instead of being the typical relationship guru who has ideas of what COULD work for your relationship, he is the data backed voice of what DOSENT work in relationships. As a bonus, I have included the first interview I listened to from him that I recommend you give the time to listen to: LINK TO VIDEO

THE MAIN COURSE
One more note before you are served your main course…. I have been blessed with incredible co-founders, and partners in my life. All of them have taught me more life lessons than any book, any quote, or course I have ever taken. A quick ode to all of you for learning together with me and the ups and downs we have been through. They were and have been life changing and I hope you feel the same way. As a result…. Today, I am blessed with the most incredible life partner and also with an incredible co-founder. I hope the context of the newsletter helps you find both of yours! 

How Picking a Co-Founder Is Just Like Picking a Life Partner….. A Life Course

If you’ve ever chosen the wrong business partner or dated someone who made your friends stage an intervention, you are already too familiar with the fact that the wrong choice costs you time, money, and potential therapy/legal sessions if it gets bad enough. 

Ever heard the quote: Choosing a business partner is like getting married? Fun Fact: It’s True. 

The reality is, choosing a co-founder and choosing a life partner are nearly identical skill sets. You’re committing to shared resources, shared responsibilities, and shared headaches. It’s basically a marriage contract…..(More on this later) except instead of a prenup, you have a cap table, and instead of splitting up the house,, you’re negotiating equity vesting schedules.

So, how do you make the right call? 

How do you de-risk one of the most significant decisions of your life?

The simple answer is most of the time, you don’t and to say anyone has the perfect solution for you to get it right every time is simply selling snake oil. 

But there are ways you can de-risk the biggest decisions of your life. The question that you need to ask yourself is… Do you want to do the hard prep work before you make the decision?

Hot tip…. You better.

Below is the outline of how I learned through a lot of failures and heartbreak how to de-risk this decision to make sure I was making the one with the best possible outcome:

How to De-Risk The Biggest Decisions In Your Life

Step 1: Look at Their Previous Exits (Relationships)....Or Lack Thereof.

• A good business partner has a history of execution. Whether they built something successful or learned from a previous failure, they have the consistent ability to grow, learn, adapt and repeat the cycle. 

• A good life partner has a history of dating but more importantly learning from their prior partners. The same principles apply here as well. They grow, learn, and adapt in their relationships. 

Questions To Ask Yourself & Your Partner:

• What did their last company, position, or failure? 

• Can they actually communicate that to you? 

• Are they vulnerable enough to tell you the details? 

• How did their last company/position/relationship end? 

• What are they holding on to from that experience? 

• How did they grow from those experiences? 

• Have they tried new things or kept making the same mistakes?

Step 2: Test for Long-Term Alignment. Beginning With The End In Mind. 

• In business, you need to agree on vision, risk tolerance, exit strategies and the small things like, are we ok being remote or do we both have to be in an office? 

• In relationships, you need to agree on core values, life direction, and the small things like how you load the dishwasher.

People grow and evolve, but if your foundation isn’t solid and your vision isn’t aligned, you’re running parallel races that never meet at the same destination.

Questions To Ask Yourself & Your Partner: 

Business Partner Questions:

1. Do we share the same long-term vision for success. Do we want a quick exit or a legacy business?

2. What is our risk tolerance? Do we both agree on how aggressive or conservative we want to be?

Life Partner Questions:

1. Do we align on major life goals (family, finances, lifestyle), or are we hoping the other will “come around” later?

2. What are our fundamental values, and do they genuinely match up, or are we ignoring obvious gaps?

Step 3: Run a Stress Test. Create Controlled Tension 

You want to see how they operate under pressure, because pressure exposes the nature of true character and that is the only thing you can really judge upon. 

Before fully committing, put yourselves in controlled chaos.

• Business: Work on something together as early as possible.. Or at least solution through a major problem together. 

• Work on a high-pressure project together. 

• Deal with a small financial loss on a product/marketing bet/

• Negotiate a difficult situation or have a difficult conversation.

• Work on small things early to see how it goes before you commit to the bigger stuff like actually forming an entity both of your names are on.

• Relationships: When dating, introduce adrenaline as early as possible.

  • 1st Date = Dinner & Getting to know each other. 

  • 2nd Date = Skydiving, go-kart racing, tandem glider ride. 

  • Date 3 = Go on a weekend trip. Something will go wrong, and see how you guys solve it. See who is in charge of what part of the planning. 

To sum it up… Do the HARD things first. Unlike most relationships, it makes the hard things easier over time. 

Business Partner Questions:

1. How do they handle conflict in business? Are they solution-focused, or do they shut down or explode?

2. Have we worked on something difficult together yet? How did we handle the pressure?

Life Partner Questions:

1. What happens when plans go sideways, do they adapt and work with me, or do they spiral?

2. Have we navigated a real-life challenge together, or has everything been smooth sailing so far?

Step 4: Watch for Consistency (or the Lack of It)

Consistency is discipline for the long term. It reveals how their character shows up every day. Being in business together or in a relationship together is a choice you make every damn day, so you want to make sure they are here for that consistent decision for the long term. . 

• In business, is their work ethic consistent, or do they disappear when things get hard, do they show up for the big and the small things? 

• In relationships, are they the same person when you’re dating as when you’re committed, or do they shift and change when things get serious?

A great co-founder and a great partner are steady, not seasonal.

Questions To Ask Yourself & Your Partner: 

Business Partner Questions:

1. Do they show up consistently, even when things aren’t exciting….or are they only present for the highs?

2. Do they follow through on commitments, or do they constantly need to be reminded?

Life Partner Questions:

1. Are they emotionally consistent, or do their moods and engagement levels swing wildly?

2. Are they the same person today as when we started dating, or have they changed in ways that aren’t aligned?

Step 5: Build the Right Prenup. Set Clear Agreements

If you watched the Sexton video you already are aligned with this. The action of writing things down is the action of taking things seriously and is one of the biggest proof points of intentions. If you can’t have these conversations with your business partner or your significant other… 

YOU WILL FAIL 100% OF THE TIME. There is no exception. 

To quote Sexton: “Why learn to fight when you are already getting punched in the face? Learn how each other operate and set the ground rules for engagement before the engagement ever happens.” (Engagement meaning the fight not the ring)

• If you’re getting into business with someone, document everything upfront. Pay the money to properly have your business documents and equity agreements formatted and outlined. 

• If you’re committing to a relationship, have the big conversations early. Politics, finances, religion, family, parenting. ALL OF IT. Don’t waste your time with someone you are not aligned with. 

Business Partner Questions:

1. Are we both comfortable putting agreements (equity, roles, decision-making) in writing?

2. Have we discussed an exit plan, what happens if one of us wants out?

Significant Other Questions:

1. Can we openly discuss hard topics (money, family, career expectations), or does it get awkward?

2. Do we have clear expectations for how we navigate life together, or are we just “seeing how it goes”?

SHAMELESS PLUG: take this step so seriously that I literally made a company around it. Years ago I created a digital “Relationship Contract” called the COUPLES CONTRACT. It provides a template and workbook for you and your partner to have and navigate the hard conversations and expectations early. Check it out if your interested! 

The Red Flags: How to Spot A Failed Business Or A Divorce Before It’s Too Late

Fun Fact: When I was in my dating szn, I was so straightforward about my red flags and calling people out on theirs that I used to carry plastic flags with me and hand them out when they came up in conversation…..(Insanity right?) Well it turns out… that was a helpful practice. 

We love the joke of the “RED FLAG” and many times, we are attracted to them. Our emotions beat our logic and we are drawn in to the shiny, hot (red) object. Well, I can guarantee you I have made more of these mistakes in my dating and professional career so I figured it best to outline how I corrected my path and what I learned from the process: 

🚩 They talk a big game, but their track record is 👀 👀 👀

• In business, this is the person with big ideas, big energy, and absolutely zero follow-through. All talk, no show. 

• In relationships, this is the person who tells you how different they are from their ex, your ex, or any bad quality you bring up. They try to sound perfect… Until they are not. 

🚩🚩 They Swing Like The Tides 

• A business partner  who is one day motivated and the next day depressed. They love an idea until a single sign of it not working. They are only fueled by momentum and not opportunity. 

• A significant other who is one day present and engaged and the next two days ghosts you. One day accepts responsibility for a mistake, the next day gaslights you. The classic push and pull of emotions to keep you coming back for more. 

Most of the time, people aren’t what they say they are…. They are what they do. 

Watch their patterns, NOT their pitches.

🚩🚩🚩 Their values look great on paper, but their actions don’t match.

• A business partner whose resume is filled with strong logos, great titles, but there is no evidence of hard work and actual productivity. 

• A significant other whose dating profile was filled with adventure, charity work, no holding a fish photo, and humor and wit is everywhere in their texting. Then when they show up, they are as dull as a 2x4 in the lumbar isle in Home Depot. 

🚩🚩🚩🚩 They avoid difficult conversations like it’s a full-time job.

• A business partner who dosen’t communicate if they are struggling on a project. They place the blame of a failure on exterior factors or worse other team members. They are afraid to talk about finances, failure, or the future. 

• A significant other who can’t talk about the next stage of your relationship, who can’t provide ideas of the future, or shy’s away from the important conversations. 

Discomfort now is better than disaster later.

🚩🚩🚩🚩 You feel like you're constantly convincing them to be on board.

• If you have to convince your co-founder that your vision is worth the work, they aren’t going to show up for it and will leave when the next idea arrives in their linkedin inbox. 

• If you have to be consistently trying to  convince your partner that you’re the right person or on the other hand (And much more common scenario) be consistently trying to convince yourself that they are worth the investment, they’re not the right partner. Move on.

The right people don’t need to be sold, they see the vision and dive in and show up. 

FINAL THOUGHTS: 

At the end of the day, it is a lot easier to do the hard work first than to try and piece it together later. The people you choose to build with, whether in business or in life, will determine your trajectory more than anything else.

• Choose wisely. 

• Test thoroughly. 

• And when you find the right person, go all in and build something incredible together.

Love you guys. 

THE SAUCE

Patty’s Picks (LINK TO THE OFFICIAL LIST)

What you have all been waiting for:Imagine you are in Palm Springs but right next to the ocean. Wild decor, opulent patrons, and damn good food. 

Enter a dominate date spot in the heart of Bird Rock, San Diego: Paradisaea

⭐️ Official Patty’s Picks Rating: 8.2

Why?

Nestled in one of San Diego’s most coveted and most difficult to get to neighborhoods (Bird Rock) is the first of the new age modern upleveling vibes delivered to the area. Paradisaea is a modern American gem that is as much vibes as it is originality and quality. Yes, it is not cheap. Yes it is worth going. Yes, it is an Official Patty's Pick. 

Patty’s Go To: 

The Pile Of Parmesan Cesar Salad. It should honestly not be called a salad as it is more cheese than leaves but if you are like me and love cheese, this is a must have on the menu to kick off the meal. 

The burger is an original twist and is not too big, not too small, it is just right. Centered between an English Muffin, it hits more than you would think for something that sounds like a McMuffin sandwich. 

If you want to splurge, the Tomahawk is a wild plating. It is also not TOO big and not TOO small but it is pricey… However it is worth it both for presentation and for taste. 

Patty Hack: Desert & Wine

Hidden at the back on the wine list, Paradisaea is home to one of the most exclusive collection of wines I have ever seen for a restaurant in San Diego. My guess is that they only have 1 bottle of each, but if you are a wine baller and want to throw down for Screaming Eagle or Petrus… They got you covered. 

Before you leave, take a left at the door. You will find a mini doughnut bar that absolutely slaps and brings you right back to county fair land with a ball of dough that melts in your mouth. 

Final Verdict

Send a drink to the kitchen. They’ll ring a bell (no joke), and suddenly, service magically improves.  Try it. Send the drink. Tag me when the bell rings.

Final Verdict

Paradisaea is shooting for their Michellein Star which my bet is that they will get. The place is a bit overpriced for my liking in terms of how much food you are getting but no one wants to be full for the afters, after a solid 10/10 date spot like this. 

📍 Paradisaea | Bird Rock, San Diego
🔗 Website

DOMAIN DADDY

The Domain: www.housechardonnay.com

The Idea:

The U.S. government finally gets its own AI overlord but, like, in a good way.

Meet USIntelligence.AI—the all-knowing, always-learning AI system built to centralize every scrap of government intelligence into one fully interactive, endlessly useful knowledge hub.

• For citizens: A single AI-powered resource to navigate government agencies, policies, and procedures without suffering through the endless abyss of hold music.

• For foreigners: The ultimate “So you wanna understand America?” chatbot that cuts through bureaucracy and makes international relations just a little less confusing.

• For government agencies: A centralized data goldmine that actually talks to itself instead of requiring another $10B contract for “interoperability.”

It’s Google for U.S. intelligence, but smarter. ChatGPT for the government, but actually accountable…. We would hope..

The Perfect Timing?

• The government is slashing agencies left and right (looking at you, DOGE).

• The U.S. just dropped billions into AI  initiatives, and you know they’re looking for “The next big thing.”

• Every government hotline is still a black hole of despair, and we’re pretty sure a well-trained AI could replace 99% of them.

The U.S. needs cost-cutting, AI-driven efficiency…THIS.IS.IT 

The Market?

💼 The U.S. Government: Their biggest pain point is literally themselves. This AI would save them billions in inefficiency while modernizing how they interact with the public.

🇺🇸 American Citizens: Imagine never having to call the IRS, DMV, or any government agency again. Instead, just ask the AI. Instant answers, no tears shed.

🌍 Foreign Governments & Researchers: A real-time U.S. knowledge base that improves diplomacy, eliminates confusion, and (finally) gives a straight answer about visas.

🚀 Defense Contractors & Intelligence Analysts: A classified backend version would revolutionize internal government operations. Imagine if all U.S. intelligence was actually connected instead of siloed in a thousand different agencies.

The Tagline?

"One nation. Under AI. With liberty and knowledge for all."

The Final Pitch:

For decades, the U.S. government has hoarded data but struggled to make it useful. Now, it’s time to connect the dots, internally for intelligence, externally for citizens.

USIntelligence.AI would be the biggest federal tech play since the Internet—except this time, it would actually work from day one.

The U.S. government is already spending billions on AI. Might as well give them something that actually makes sense.

Someone has to fund this…

Want this business/domain?
Hit me up and let’s talk. [email protected]

THE SECRET SAUCE DIGITAL VAULT: FREE DOWNLOADS & RESOURCES. Some love from me to YOU! 🫵

Digital Downloads:

• Guide To Virtual Assistants E-Book: Everything you need to clone yourself, build a superhero VA team, and scale smarter, not harder. (LINK) 

• Financial Model Templates: Stop winging it. Get easy to use models and guidebooks for B2B SaaS, eCommerce, and DTC businesses. (LINK) 

• Do's & Don'ts of Startups:  Avoid the same dumb mistakes me and  99% of founders make. Learn what works, what doesn’t, and what will definitely burn your time & money. (LINK)

•  Founder Roles Workbook: Know exactly what your role should evolve into at every stage of your startup. No more founder identity crises. (LINK) 

That’s a wrap everyone. See you in 2 weeks, and as always. 

Hope You Enjoyed My Sauce. 

- Patrick Frank