Friction to Opportunity
Turning Everyday Frustrations into Software Solutions
Introduction
Every time you encounter friction — a process that's harder than it should be, a tool that doesn't quite work, a frustration you hear from someone else — you're encountering opportunity.
Not every friction is worth solving. Not every solution becomes a business. But developing the habit of noticing and the skill of evaluating creates a pipeline of possibilities. And eventually, you'll find something worth building.
This document teaches you how to:
- Notice friction (many people don't)
- Analyze it (understand the underlying problem)
- Evaluate it (is this worth solving?)
- Act on it (test solutions small)
Why Friction Matters
The Hidden Opportunity
Most people encounter friction and:
- Accept it ("that's just how it is")
- Complain about it (but don't act)
- Work around it (manual processes, hacks)
Each of these responses contains a hidden opportunity. If you experience this friction, others do too. And if existing solutions don't solve it well, there's room for something better.
Your Uniqueness Is an Asset
You notice things others miss.
Your background, experiences, and context shape what catches your attention:
- A nurse notices healthcare documentation friction
- A teacher notices classroom management friction
- A musician notices practice scheduling friction
- A parent notices childcare coordination friction
The friction you uniquely notice is your competitive advantage. You understand it deeply. You can build for it authentically.
Step 1: Notice Friction
The first skill is simply noticing.
Types of Friction
Time friction — Things that take too long
- "I spend 2 hours every week on this report"
- "It takes 20 minutes to onboard a new user"
- "Scheduling meetings is endless back-and-forth"
Cognitive friction — Things that require too much mental effort
- "I can never remember which system to use for this"
- "The interface is confusing"
- "I have to look up the process every time"
Communication friction — Things that cause misunderstanding
- "Information is scattered across 5 different places"
- "We're always out of sync with the other team"
- "Customers keep asking the same questions"
Coordination friction — Things that require unnecessary synchronization
- "We have to meet every time to make this decision"
- "I'm blocked waiting for approval"
- "Nobody knows who's supposed to do this"
Access friction — Things that are hard to reach or find
- "The data exists but I can't get to it"
- "This feature is buried in menus"
- "I need permission from three people"
How to Notice
Pay attention to your reactions:
- Sighing
- "Ugh, not this again"
- Working around something
- Explaining the same thing repeatedly
Pay attention to others:
- "I wish there was a way to..."
- "It shouldn't be this hard to..."
- "Every time I have to..."
- "Why doesn't this just..."
Keep a friction log:
- Date
- What happened
- Who was affected
- How often does this occur
- How do people currently cope
Step 2: Analyze the Friction
Noticing is step one. Understanding is step two.
The Five Whys
When you encounter friction, ask why repeatedly until you reach a root cause.
Example:
- Why is scheduling meetings hard? → People use different calendars
- Why do they use different calendars? → Different tools across organizations
- Why don't they use a shared tool? → They're in different companies
- Why does that matter? → No single system has visibility into all availability
- Why hasn't this been solved? → Solutions exist but have adoption friction
Root insight: The problem isn't calendar software — it's cross-organization coordination. Solutions need to work without requiring everyone to use the same system.
Protocol Analysis
Apply Protocol Thinking:
- Who are the actors?
- What are their boundaries and incentives?
- Where does the protocol break?
Example: Expense reporting friction
Actors:
- Employee (wants reimbursement, hates paperwork)
- Manager (wants oversight, hates approving)
- Finance (wants compliance, accurate records)
- Vendor (sells goods/services)
Current protocol:
Employee → saves receipt → enters into system → attaches receipt → Manager → reviews → approves → Finance → processes → reimburses
Failures:
- Receipt management (paper, photos, lost)
- Data entry (manual, error-prone)
- Approval bottleneck (manager backlog)
- Policy compliance (unclear rules)
Understanding the protocol reveals specific intervention points.
Existing Solutions
Before building, understand what already exists:
- What tools do people use now?
- Why don't those tools solve the problem?
- What would make people switch?
The best opportunities are often where:
- Solutions exist but are too expensive
- Solutions exist but are too complex
- Solutions exist but serve different users
- Solutions are fragmented (you need 3 tools instead of 1)
- No good solution exists yet
Step 3: Evaluate the Opportunity
Not every friction is worth solving. Evaluation helps you focus.
The Friction Evaluation Matrix
Rate each friction on these dimensions:
| Dimension | Question | Score 1-5 |
|---|---|---|
| Frequency | How often does this occur? | Rare → Constant |
| Severity | How painful is it? | Annoying → Showstopper |
| Population | How many people experience this? | Just me → Millions |
| Willingness to pay | Would people pay to solve this? | No → Definitely |
| Solvability | Can software help? | Unlikely → Perfect fit |
Priority = Frequency × Severity × Population × Willingness × Solvability
Red Flags
Be cautious if:
- You're the only one who experiences this (verify with others)
- People have workarounds they're happy with (switching cost is real)
- The friction is fundamental to the activity (some things are just hard)
- There's a reason existing solutions don't solve it (regulation, physics, etc.)
- The market is crowded with well-funded competitors
Green Flags
Get excited if:
- Multiple people independently mention the same friction
- Existing solutions are hated but used anyway (captive market)
- New technology makes something newly possible (AI, mobile, etc.)
- You have unique insight into the problem (domain expertise)
- Small improvements would have big impact (leverage)
Step 4: Act on It
Ideas are cheap. Execution matters.
Start Small
Don't build a complete product. Test the smallest version first.
Validation ladder:
- Talk to people — Do others have this problem? How do they solve it now?
- Manual solution — Can you solve it by hand? (concierge MVP)
- Spreadsheet/doc — Can you solve it with existing tools?
- Landing page — Does anyone sign up for a solution?
- Minimal tool — Can you build the simplest possible version?
- Iterate — Does usage grow? Do people pay/refer?
The Concierge MVP
Before writing code, do it manually.
Example: Task management friction
Instead of building an app:
- Offer to manage tasks for 5 people
- Use a spreadsheet and manual check-ins
- Learn what they actually need
- Discover edge cases and priorities
- Then consider building software
You'll learn more from serving 5 people manually than from building features nobody uses.
Build in Public
Share your journey:
- What friction you noticed
- What you're building
- What you're learning
- What's working and what's not
Benefits:
- Accountability (you said you'd do it)
- Feedback (others have insights)
- Community (attracts like-minded people)
- Credibility (demonstrated expertise)
The Continuous Pipeline
Friction-to-opportunity is not a one-time event. It's a continuous practice.
The Idea Pipeline
Notice → Log → Analyze → Evaluate → Test → Build
Most ideas don't make it through. That's fine. The goal is continuous flow, not batting average.
Compounding Returns
The more you practice:
- Better noticing — You see friction others miss
- Better analysis — You find root causes faster
- Better evaluation — You filter effectively
- Better execution — You build faster and learn quicker
Each attempt teaches you something. Even "failures" build skill.
Common Mistakes
Mistake 1: Building Before Validating
Don't spend months building something nobody wants. Talk to people first.
Mistake 2: Solving Your Problem Only
Your experience is a starting point, not the whole picture. Validate that others share the friction.
Mistake 3: Overbuilding
The first version should be embarrassingly simple. Complexity comes later, informed by usage.
Mistake 4: Ignoring Existing Solutions
Understand why current tools don't solve the problem before assuming you can do better.
Mistake 5: Waiting for Perfect Ideas
The best ideas often emerge from building and learning, not from thinking in isolation.
Summary
Friction to opportunity means:
- Notice friction — Pay attention to frustrations (yours and others')
- Analyze deeply — Understand root causes, not just symptoms
- Evaluate honestly — Not all friction is worth solving
- Act small — Test before you build, build before you scale
- Practice continuously — Build an idea pipeline, not a single bet
Your unique perspective helps you notice friction that others miss. Software gives you leverage to build solutions. The combination is powerful.
Next Steps
- Start a friction log — Record frustrations for one week
- Pick one friction — Apply the full analysis
- Talk to 5 people — Validate that others experience it
- Try a manual solution — Learn before you build
- Share what you learn — Build in public
Related
- Protocol Thinking — Analyzing systems and failures
- The DevFoundry Thesis — Why software is accessible leverage
- Flow-Based Development — Building software with clarity