When I help product teams to eliminate friction, I expect to get some pushback.

They may point to luxury brands, premium products, and companies that thrive despite — or because of — making things a little harder.

They’re right. Sort of.

Strategic friction is NEVER about poor design or frustrating experiences. What it IS about is intentionally qualifying your customers before they buy.

It’s the difference between a mass-market fitness tracker and a high-end training tool used by elite athletes. The consumer market won’t pay for or appreciate the latter. They won’t accept the learning curve.

As a product maker, your own dog brain whimpers and wags its tail excitedly at every potential sale. But deep down, your tank brain knows some customers aren’t right for the product. They never will be.

YETI built an empire around coolers that cost 3-4x more than the competition.

They never apologized for the price. Instead, they leaned full-force into it, along with the coolers’ heavy weight, stand-on-top strength and specialized features.

People who simply want to keep drinks cool should damn well buy something else, and not whine about YETI’s price.

Perfecto mundo!

The outdoor gear maker Arc’teryx takes a similar approach. Their technical specifications and premium materials create natural friction that casual buyers won’t overcome.

Setting foot into an Arc’teryx store, you know you’re in a place for people who go far into nature to do fairly extreme things. Those serious outdoor enthusiasts see a place that truly “gets” them.

No one needs to justify the jaw-dropping prices. If that bothers you, you’re in the wrong store.

This is where the “flip” from want to need becomes really critical. When someone truly needs (including in their heart or mind) your product’s specific capability, strategic friction becomes reassurance. It validates their choice.

Think about professional kitchen knives. (I wrote a post not long ago about a place near me that sells elite Japanese ones.) A Fujiwara or Masakaji requires special care, careful sharpening, and hand washing.

Home chefs who need that level of performance (or who like to think they do) won’t see these as barriers — they’ll see hallmarks of quality. Less particular knife buyers can buy a whole block of Henckels for less. And should!

Action for today: List your product’s qualities that might deter casual buyers. Which ones actually help identify your ideal customers? Don’t rush to eliminate friction that’s secretly working for you.

Want to discuss your product’s strategic positioning with someone who has 30+ years of product expertise? Let’s talk about finding your perfect-fit customers — tap reply.

Laurier

Product Payoff: Sonos launched its original ZP100 streaming speakers at premium prices in 2005, at a time when cheaper bluetooth options dominated. The ZP100 required a dedicated app (the iPhone wouldn’t exist for another 2 years) and wifi setup. These “friction points” helped establish Sonos as a premium home audio solution instead of yet another speaker company. Today, they PWN the high-end wireless audio market.