Have you identified your “valuable friction?”
Author
Rob Manne
| Published: April 14, 2026
Recently Jessica McAulay and I trained a client team on a new CRM and automation solution we built. “Valuable friction” was a cornerstone of our approach.
This business, a niche tour operator, built its reputation by providing a high-touch experience from their team of subject matter tour experts.
But this high-touch business presented a challenge for them to scale. There was a lot of inefficiency and friction in their process. Technology played a very limited role.
As we built and implemented this solution, we focused on the concept of “valuable friction,” as articulated by folks like Robert Rose.
The idea of valuable friction is simple:
Not every step in the journey should be optimized for speed or scale.
Some moments benefit from a pause, a conversation, or a human perspective.
In a world where technology and AI can instantly generate responses, route leads, and trigger workflows, there can be a temptation to go overboard.
But it’s important to isolate the points of friction that are most valuable…and protect them.
For this client, we built HubSpot to remove low-value friction across data, handoffs, and processes.
Things like forms, message templates, automated communications, and a single source of truth have already had a huge impact.
At the same time, we have ensured the tour managers and guides remain the primary points of contact. They now sit on top of a foundation of data and processes supporting them.
Humans are the ones who build and maintain trust, relationships, and loyalty with other humans.
This is yet another reminder that technology should not replace the human experience.
It should create the space for it to happen at the right time, in the right way.
But it’s a balance.
In the coming months and years, companies that get their “valuable friction” right will begin to stand out and pull ahead from competitors.
For those in GTM or CX, have you identified your points of “valuable friction?”
