Like VCs, he wants partnerships that spread the risk.

FORBES: Red Baron

What he meant was that in order to even consider playing ball, professional partners like VCs have to trust that they will have the right interpersonal, reputational, and emotional environment to operate in.

FORBES: You're Uninvestable, You Don't Follow The Rules

Unlike Boulder however, which rose to prominence due to the efforts of VCs like Brad Feld trying to catalyze a startup scene, Hsieh is trying to use the sheer size of Zappos to make a difference.

FORBES: Zappos and the Rise of Corporate Neo-Urbanism