Finance is totally relationship driven (and 'honor systems' isn't really a good example of it). My bank waives fees on everything because of my personal friendly relationship with my banker. They gave me preferred terms of my mortgage rate because of my formal relationship - it wasn't just the product of a formula at the end of the banker's computer screen.

I know they'll do all sorts of shit for me because of the hard (account age, $$) and soft (personal) relationship.

But my point is more broad - API agreements come to mind as an example, just because that is a space I've played in prior jobs. "But the API Ts&Cs say you can't do xx but they are doing xx". Yeah, they have a relationship and got a dispensation.

That's an ideal. At the end of the day these are human-run industries, relationships are a big part of that.