The Reciprocity Advantage

CHAPTER 2Partnering to Do What You Can’t Do Alone

In which partnering, collaboration, and teaming are reimagined on a global scale.

Microsoft Kinect was introduced in December of 2010. Within days of its release, it was hacked. Even worse for Microsoft, a new website came alive that solicited and shared illegal Kinect hacks globally.

Stunned Microsoft lawyers let these intellectual property violations happen for a few days and then announced that they would sue anyone who hacked the Kinect platform. In defiance of Microsoft’s legal threat, a prize was offered for the best hack of the Kinect platform.

Two months later, Microsoft opened the Kinect platform with an act of involuntary reciprocity that was truly remarkable and even inspiring. Microsoft ...