Some interesting links we found across the web this week:

How to Use Strategic Partnerships for More Explosive Growth
Growth is important for the survival of a startup and strategic partnerships are the best shortcut to the kind of explosive growth a new business needs. This Entrepreneur article highlights five ways to make the most of strategic partnerships before, during and after its initiation.

No Vacations? Mark Cuban Tells Aspiring Dallas Entrepreneurs What it Takes to Make Billions
Mark Cuban is a tech mogul and startup investor who went seven years without a vacation and stayed up late, eating buckets of wings and teaching himself to code. Read this article in Dallas News to understand his viewpoint on the importance of entrepreneurs working hard and staying sharp, having a diverse and inclusive workspace and other best practices to building a successful company.

Startups: Proceed With Caution Before Forming an Advisory Board 
Advisory boards help build relationships, keep a pulse on top-of-mind needs for a company’s target clients, and establish credibility. Such advisory boards offer the CEOs industry insight and open some doors, but may not always be a game-changer for the company. This article by FastCompany warns startups to proceed with caution with advisory boards and to ponder if this is something the company really wants to tackle.

How Startups Can Help Solve the Gender Wage Gap 
Large companies like Cola-Cola, GE and HP get a lot of attention for their female-focused workplace efforts, but startups are often overlooked. This AlleyWatch article offers some recommendations, both for early-stage companies wanting to make good on their potential and for candidates to keep in mind.

3 Successful Entrepreneurs Share the Interview Questions They Ask All New Hires 
Once hiring managers get past the more typical questions in the interview, it is always difficult to ask smart new questions that lead to good conversation. In this article from Inc.com, the founders of Rent the Runway, MIRROR and Airtable share their favorite interview questions.