Lucía made preserves in Tandil and sold them in three towns. Ana designed packaging for brands that never credited her. They didn't know each other and don't live in the same province.
They started with a six-week pilot: identity and label for a single line, with the exit rule written down before starting. The line landed in four new shops. Only then did they talk about becoming partners, and brought in Diego, who added the sales channel.
The brand now sells nationwide. The pilot cost six weeks; the partnership, not one extra meeting.