We have spent a full decade trying to kill friction.

Guided by growth gurus and endless A/B tests, we built the seamless experience. We wanted one-click checkouts and onboarding so simple a toddler could do it. We assumed that if a tool disappeared into the background, we won. The data at the point of sale usually backed us up.

But this obsession is a trap. By making everything effortless, we created a user base that is soft and uncommitted. We solved for the quick transaction, but killed the long-term value of the relationship.

The most expensive mistake a founder can make today is making their product too easy to use.

The problem with easy value

The current obsession with cognitive ease is a disaster for brand loyalty. When a user feels zero resistance, they invest zero mental energy. That leads to two major failures:

• The value disappears: The human brain is wired to think that if something is easy, it isn’t worth much. Behavioural science is clear on this: if you don’t have to work for a result, you don’t value the result. When onboarding is instant, the user achieves their goal without earning it. They get the benefit, but they don’t respect the tool. When the bill comes due, leaving is just as effortless as joining. There is no memory of a struggle or a win to keep them around.
• You aren’t building memories: Loyalty requires memory, and memory requires action. We remember the things that challenged us. By letting a user slide through your product like they are on a greased chute, you prevent them from forming a real connection to the work. They are staying because of convenience, not conviction. This is the hidden cost of perfect UX: your churn looks great in month one, but it falls off a cliff by month six because the customer has no deep reason to stay.

Using speed bumps to keep customers

Smart Founders should stop trying to erase friction and start using “Intentional Friction.” I call this the Speed Bump Theory. It isn’t about making a bad product. It is about identifying the specific moments where a little bit of work creates a lot of commitment.

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Try placing these speed bumps at four specific stages:

• Hard onboarding: Don’t let them glide in. Force them to spend five minutes configuring a vital piece of the system. Maybe they have to map out a complex business process or upload a messy historical dataset. This creates an immediate sunk cost. Because they put in the work up front, they are psychologically anchored to the platform. They can’t leave easily because they already did the heavy lifting.
• The mastery gap: Your best feature should not be obvious. It should require a tutorial or a brief training session. This shifts the focus from time to value to time to mastery. When a user finally learns how to use a complex tool, that feeling of achievement is linked to your brand. They aren’t just using an app anymore; they have become experts in a specialised skill.
• Honest pricing: Stop hiding your price in a friendly little table. Force the user to actually look at the cost and justify it. If your product is actually worth the money, making them think about the price reinforces its worth. If the decision is too easy, they will never see the product as a serious investment.
• The exit warning: When someone tries to cancel, don’t just let them click a button. Remind them exactly what they are walking away from: their data, the skills they learned, and the momentum they built. This isn’t about being annoying. It is a final reminder of the value they are about to lose.

The race for “zero friction” is a race to the bottom. True winners are the Founders who realise that a strategic speed bump isn’t a barrier to entry. It is a barrier to leaving.

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