Matters of trust

"We got away with it again."

We used to say this half-jokingly in the ride back to the studio after pulling off something we hadn't quite done before.

It was part relief, part pride. We'd worked out a way and delivered on the trust placed in us.

Trust is hard earned. It comes from being consistent, reliable and honest—especially about what you don't know. From managing expectations and being prepared to say "I'm not sure, but here's how we'll find out" instead of promising what you can't guarantee, or just saying no.

As trust grows, so do the problems you're asked to solve. Questions move from "have you done this before?" to "can you help us figure this out?" More complexity, more ambiguity.

Trust has a compounding effect. The more you build with others, the more you build in yourself. You stop needing all the answers before you say yes. You back yourself to figure it out. But not blindly, and not lightly.

We didn't get away with anything—we earned it. We worked harder because of the weight of trust. We knew what we'd built, and we knew the cost of losing it.

Honesty builds trust. Trust keeps you honest.