When you ask your Navigator about a relationship, you might get back a trajectory prediction showing where things are headed. It's not magic—it's pattern recognition built on decades of relationship science.
Here's how we do it.
The Foundation: What Research Shows
Research from Dr. John Gottman showed you can predict divorce with over 90% accuracy after watching couples interact for 15 minutes. Machine learning research across 43 studies confirms relationship satisfaction follows predictable patterns based on specific behaviors and interaction styles.
The science is clear: relationships aren't mysteries. They're patterns. Our challenge was turning that research into something useful—predictions you can actually act on.
Building the Prediction System
We started with a question: what would it take to give someone Gottman's observational power without requiring a PhD in relationship psychology?
The answer wasn't simple. Decades of research identify dozens of factors that predict relationship outcomes. But these factors don't exist in isolation—they interact, compound, and shift based on context. A prediction system needed to track all of it.
The Five Dimensions We Track
Your Navigator measures relationship health across five research-backed dimensions. Every conversation you have, every detail you share, every pattern you describe—it all feeds into these core metrics.
Connection Quality measures emotional engagement depth and reciprocity. Research shows surface-level interactions, even if frequent, don't protect relationships the way meaningful connection does. We analyze conversation depth, emotional vulnerability, and whether interactions energize or drain you.
Trust & Security examines reliability patterns and psychological safety. Can you be yourself? Do commitments get kept? Studies show trust erosion is often invisible until it's severe—we track early indicators before they compound.
Support Exchange looks at reciprocity and responsiveness. Research on friendship dissolution shows that imbalanced support predicts relationship ending, especially during life transitions. We measure who's showing up and whether it's mutual.
Communication Health evaluates both frequency and quality. It's not just how often you talk—it's whether you're actually hearing each other. We catch patterns like increasing conflict avoidance or conversations becoming transactional.
Conflict Management assesses how disagreements get handled. Can you repair after fights? Do you attack issues or each other? Gottman's research shows this is often the strongest single predictor of relationship survival.
Why Context Changes Everything
Here's where it gets complicated: the same behavior can signal completely different trajectories depending on context.
Decreased communication frequency might indicate drift in a local friendship but be completely normal for a long-distance friendship with strong emotional intimacy. An increase in conflict might signal problems in a new relationship but healthy boundary-setting in a long-term one.
This is why we don't just track metrics—we analyze patterns within context. Your Navigator considers relationship type, duration, life circumstances, communication styles, and past conflict resolution patterns. The trajectory isn't a simple score. It's a synthesis of how all these factors interact specifically for this relationship at this point in time.
What You Actually See
When your Navigator generates a trajectory prediction, you get three things:
The trajectory itself - where the relationship is heading based on current patterns. This isn't fortune-telling. It's showing you the direction you're currently moving and what research suggests happens when relationships follow similar patterns.
The factors driving it - which of those five dimensions are influencing the trajectory most. Maybe communication is strong but conflict management is declining. Maybe trust is solid but support exchange is becoming one-sided. You see what's actually affecting the relationship.
Specific intervention strategies - research-backed actions tailored to your patterns, relationship type, and the actual risk factors identified. Not generic advice. Not "communicate more." Concrete strategies addressing the specific dynamics your trajectory revealed.
How It Works in Practice
Alex had been friends with Jordan since high school. When his Navigator showed a declining trajectory, his first reaction was defensive. They still texted regularly. Everything felt fine.
But looking at the pattern breakdown revealed something subtle: their conversations had become increasingly transactional over eight months. Plans focused on efficiency rather than depth. The emotional intimacy score had been dropping steadily.
The prediction wasn't inevitable—it was a trajectory based on current patterns. Understanding what was driving it meant Alex could actually intervene. He started scheduling longer hangouts, initiated video calls instead of texts, shared vulnerable updates instead of logistics.
Six months later, the trajectory had shifted. The friendship didn't just survive—it deepened.
Early Detection, Better Outcomes
The most powerful thing about predictions isn't seeing the future—it's getting ahead of problems.
Research shows early intervention is far more effective than trying to repair relationships after problems compound. Couples who address emerging patterns before contempt becomes habitual have significantly better outcomes. The same principle applies to all relationships.
But early intervention requires early detection. That's exactly what trajectory predictions enable—visibility into patterns before they feel urgent.
Mia's Navigator showed her long-distance relationship had a concerning trajectory. The prediction didn't end things—it started a conversation about what needed to change. She and her partner implemented specific connection rituals the research suggested for maintaining intimacy across distance.
Six months later, the trajectory had significantly improved. Not because the prediction was wrong, but because they changed the patterns driving it.
What This Isn't
Trajectory predictions aren't about controlling outcomes or manipulating people. They're about clarity.
Sometimes the prediction confirms what you've been feeling but couldn't articulate. That relationship that's been "fine" but slowly draining you? The trajectory shows declining mutual support and increasing emotional labor imbalance. You weren't imagining it.
Sometimes the prediction catches something you weren't seeing. That new friendship that feels easy and fun? The trajectory suggests long-term compatibility based on aligned values, complementary communication styles, and strong reciprocity patterns. It's not just beginner's luck.
And sometimes the prediction shows risk factors worth addressing. Strong compatibility but increasing stress from external factors—career pressure, family obligations, financial strain. Without intentional maintenance, the trajectory points toward drift. But now you know what to work on.
The Bigger Purpose
Relationship predictions are really about treating social health with the same seriousness we treat physical health.
When your fitness tracker shows declining sleep quality or increasing resting heart rate, you investigate. You adjust. You take it seriously because you have data showing something needs attention.
Trajectory predictions do the same thing for your relationships. They make patterns visible before they become problems. They transform vague feelings into specific insights. They give you the information you need to maintain relationships that matter and recognize when relationships have run their course.
Harvard research shows relationship quality is one of the strongest predictors of long-term health and happiness—stronger than income, physical fitness, or career success.
If that's true, you should be able to measure and improve it. Not by controlling people or removing uncertainty entirely—but by having the information and tools to make better decisions about the relationships that shape your life.
That's what we built. A system that takes decades of relationship research and makes it useful. Personal. Actionable.
Your relationships are more predictable than you think. Now you can actually see the patterns.