If you're going to form a partnership, I second the notion to do it all via a written contract (with a lawyer) so both parties know who is resposible for what parts of the business.
Aside for just writting up the contract, I also believe in taking responsibility for your actions. Set up:
A. Goals
B: A plan of action for reaching those goals
C. Deadlines for those goals
Thereby, if one partner has set forth a particular date/time to have a certain thing done, than it would be clearly outlined.
One must also be aware that to effectively run a business with a partner, there must be a line of communication involved.
So, if one person ends up doing all the work, while the other person lives life to the fullest and starts to use the income that is being generated from the business as a cash cow, then that would allow you to say.."hey bastard, why in the fuck am I doing all the work and you're not!"...
Then again, you could also establish who wil do what in the written contract, thereby freeing yourself (and a whole lot of your hard earned money) up to let that person go. Also, the contract could give 'provisions' as to who can cancell the partnership and in doing so, what monies would be expected as compensation.
I know this sounds very 'corporate' but I know that as long as both parties know what to expect going in, than it just makes it that more easy to succeed.
Oh well, just my $
Later
Tekart