An expansion of Part IV of the Project Success Algorithm.

Relationships

Relationships are the most complex part of success because people are not equations. You can do everything right and still not get the outcome you hoped for. People react differently. They carry different experiences, incentives, fears, and ambitions.

The best way to navigate this complexity is surprisingly simple: do what you know is right.

Treat people the way you would want to be treated. Check on them when they disappear off the grid. Be in a position where you can offer meaningful help when they need it. Be loyal to your people, and many will return that loyalty in kind.

At the same time, do not become a fool.

When you realise you are being  used, stop. Learn to see through forced politeness, performative kindness, and empty words. Good intentions should never require blindness.

1. Reduce Complexity: Just Do What's Right

Relationships become complicated when we spend too much time trying to predict what other people think, want, or expect from us.

A better approach is to anchor yourself in principle.

When Steve Jobs handed Apple over to Tim Cook, he offered a remarkably simple piece of advice:

"Never ask what I would do. Just do what's right."

While intended for business leadership, it applies equally well to relationships.

Many people lose themselves trying to fit a mold. They ask:

"What does my partner want me to say?"

"How do I keep everyone happy?"

"How do I avoid conflict?"

Over time, they stop listening to their own judgment and start performing for approval. The relationship becomes less about connection and more about maintaining an image.

The alternative is to act from integrity.

Define your non-negotiables: honesty, respect, loyalty, truth, fairness. Let those principles guide your actions.

Speak honestly, even when the conversation is uncomfortable.

Set boundaries when they are needed.

Walk away when staying requires you to betray yourself.

The goal is not to be liked by everyone. The goal is to be able to sleep peacefully at night knowing you acted according to your values.

Doing the right thing simplifies life because it removes the endless cycle of second-guessing. You no longer need to replay conversations in your head wondering whether you manipulated, deceived, or compromised yourself. You simply acted in accordance with what you believed was right.

2. Loyalty and Boundaries

True maturity requires two qualities that seem contradictory but must coexist:

Deep empathy and strong boundaries.

A good conscience means caring about people. It means checking on friends who go quiet. It means being present when someone is struggling. It means building yourself up to be someone who can offer stability when others need support.

Loyalty matters.

Strong friendships, partnerships, and teams are built on people knowing they can depend on one another when circumstances become difficult.

But loyalty without boundaries is self-destruction.

The moment your generosity becomes a one-way transaction, you need to pay attention.

Do not confuse being kind with being available for exploitation.

Do not confuse patience with weakness.

Do not confuse loyalty with servitude.

Mature people learn to identify the difference between those who appreciate support and those who merely consume it.

Protect your energy. Keep your heart open, but keep your eyes open too.

3. The Steve Jobs Lesson

The evolution of Steve Jobs offers another lesson worth remembering.

The young Steve Jobs was brilliant, ambitious, and uncompromising. He pushed relentlessly for excellence, but he was also combative, difficult, and often destructive in how he dealt with people. He created rivalries, micromanaged details, and treated many disagreements like wars to be won.

Eventually, that approach got him fired from his own company.

When Jobs returned to Apple years later, he was still demanding, but he had changed. He became more focused, more disciplined, and more willing to trust talented people around him. Instead of trying to control everything, he concentrated on what mattered most.

Many founders make the mistake of letting their "1984 Steve Jobs" run the company.

They fight every battle.

They micromanage every decision.

They insist on winning every argument.

Eventually, their ego becomes a liability.

The lesson is simple: enter your post-1997 phase early.

Build systems.

Trust capable people.

Focus on outcomes rather than personal victories.

The goal is not to rule a kingdom. The goal is to build something that lasts.

4. Understand Incentives

One of the most important skills in dealing with people is understanding incentives.

Everyone wants something.

Some people want money.

Some want recognition.

Some want influence.

Some want security.

Some simply want to feel respected.

If you can understand what people genuinely value, relationships become easier to navigate.

This does not mean manipulating people.

It means understanding them.

Meet people halfway when you can. Create arrangements where both sides benefit. Respect their goals and ambitions.

Never treat people as tools.

People are not things.

The strongest relationships are built when everyone involved feels valued rather than used.

Final Thought

In every interaction, start with your conscience.

Do the right thing because it is right, not because it guarantees a particular outcome.

You cannot control how others think.

You cannot fully predict how they will react.

You cannot live your life constantly calculating what everyone else expects of you.

What you can control is your own conduct.

Act with integrity.

Be loyal.

Maintain boundaries.

Understand incentives.

And when in doubt, return to the simplest rule of all:

Do what you know is right.