by Joe Procopio — December 15, 2020 . Editor’s note: Joe Procopio is the founder of teachingstartup.com and the COO of IoT/Beer startup Precision Fermentation. Joe has a long entrepreneurial history in the Triangle. More info at joeprocopio.com. This is the first of a new series. RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK – In business, your leverage in negotiations is directly proportional to your size. When you’re a startup, you’re freaking tiny. So how do you get a big deal done without giving away the company? It’s rare that a startup will get a fair shake from a giant customer or partner. But these kinds of deals can mean the difference between success and failure, so we’ve got to go after them.