I wonder if that is a big part of the secret. If you are fortunate enough to be in that situation, you can diversify the operation, but specialize your own work. I've had the pleasure to meet quite a few farmers in partnership that had this situation. One is great with machinery, so quarterbacks that side. Another prefers to be in the barn, so runs the hog operation. Each is able to draw on the others for labour, for backup, and for advice, but the daily decisions are made by the specialists. On big ticket items, the specialist takes a proposal to the partnership, just like corporations feed proposals up to the board of directors.

When this works well, it's special. When it fails to gel, well... There's a reason we spend our time talking about bto's. Most of the ones I know about are partnerships. So few of these work well that we spend our time talking about the ones that do.