Many builders remove every ounce of friction and accidentally remove identity too. Some friction is useful when it signals who the product is built for.
A strong position is not just what you include. It is also what you reject. Clear rejection helps the right users self-select faster.
Healthy friction examples
- Pricing that starts higher to discourage low-intent usage.
- A minimal feature set designed for one persona only.
- Language that names tradeoffs directly.
Bad friction to remove
- Unclear setup steps and hidden limitations.
- Slow onboarding that does not create value fast.
- Permission popups before users understand why.
Build cue: Write one sentence that says who should not buy your product. Put it on your homepage.