Working on a project with friends can be a risky proposition. You may end up in conflict and souring the relationship.

But it can also be one of the best things if done correctly. Having friends with skills you need willing to help you out is a superpower.

Where things often go wrong is that with friends we tend to assume more than we verify, because we think we know the person.

Even if that's the case, being explicit just brings out any potential elephants in the room.

Mindset shifting is hard.

You must separate friend time with business time.

It's easy for work discussions to spill into personal time and the project consuming the friendship.

I've been there too many times as a youngster. It's not a healthy place.

Use separate communication channels and force yourself not to talk about business when you go for a beer in the evening.

No double standards.

Avoiding giving honest feedback or holding back because someone is your friend is what can ruin the relationship and make it bad for everyone else on the team that sees you playing favorites.

Treat friends like professionals.

If money is tight or they are working as a favor to you, be respectful of their contributions.

Consider a pilot project.

Sometimes we have this grand idea of how beautifully things will work out, until we actually try working together.

A small scope and well defined project will give you the opportunity to test-drive the professional relationship.

You'll learn about how compatible you are in a work setting on a low stakes project.

Clear roles and boundries.

The more clearly you define what role each of you will play in the project and how you will interact, the less potential there is for miscommunication.

Frame the language.

The silver lining ...

Sometimes, a friendship does not translate well to a great working relationship and that's okay.

In that case it's important to protect the friendship and put professional differences aside.

But I believe that following the steps above gives you a better chance at making a friendship work in a professional setting instead of just relying on chance and good vibes.

Good vibes fade quickly when trouble starts.

Yours,

Taj