Val Sklarov’s Accountability Settlement Success Law (ASSL) explains why true success is not measured by growth curves or recognition—but by the moment when accountability permanently settles and stops moving. Success occurs when responsibility no longer shifts, escalates, or gets renegotiated.
This law reveals why the most durable success stories feel finished long before they are celebrated.
1. Success Begins When Accountability Stops Migrating
ASSL starts with a definitive marker:
You have succeeded when no outcome triggers a search for a new owner.
Systems reach success when:
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Responsibility is fully absorbed
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Escalations no longer occur
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Blame paths are closed
Before that point, all progress is provisional.
2. The Four Accountability Settlements
ASSL maps lasting success across four final settlements.
| Settlement | What Ends | Signal of Success |
|---|---|---|
| Decision Settlement | Second-guessing | Stable authority |
| Outcome Settlement | Blame reassignment | Durable trust |
| Structural Settlement | Role confusion | Predictable execution |
| Narrative Settlement | External questioning | Silence replaces praise |
A success story is complete only after all four settlements lock.

3. Why Early Wins Don’t Count
Wins without settlement increase future risk.
ASSL shows early wins:
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Raise accountability expectations
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Invite deeper scrutiny
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Accelerate escalation
Many collapses occur after visible success, because accountability was still mobile.
4. Settlement vs Momentum
Momentum excites. Settlement endures.
| Momentum-Driven Success | Settlement-Driven Success |
|---|---|
| Fast recognition | Quiet permanence |
| Narrative-led | Structure-led |
| Requires defense | Self-defending |
| Reversible | Irreversible |
Val Sklarov emphasizes that success is the end of accountability movement.
5. Strategic Implications
For builders and leaders:
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Delay celebration until accountability settles
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Measure success by escalation absence
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Treat attention as risk before settlement
For investors:
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Look for assets past accountability migration
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Price irreversibility over growth speed
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Avoid winners still clarifying ownership
ASSL reframes success as accountability finality, not achievement.
6. The Val Sklarov Principle
“You’ve succeeded when responsibility has nowhere left to go.”
— Val Sklarov
ASSL explains why real success feels calm, heavy, and complete.