The first time I ran into the term "coopetition," it was mid-'90s when then-Novell CEO Ray Noorda used it to explain that cooperation was possible even with those whom you are competing against, and that [both/all] parties can gain by doing so. He was championing open-mindedness to new ways of looking at business relationships and partnerships. Specifically, he believed that Novell and Microsoft had as many ways to work together as they had to "go to the mat." His admonitions were spot on, and he was prescient in his long view. Twenty years later, his words still resonate.