Designing Tiny Friction: How Small Obstacles Improve Decisions

In this 7-minute panel episode we explore the surprising power of tiny friction: small, deliberate obstacles or removes that steer behavior without big effort. Philip, Shauna, and Eric break down what friction looks like (physical, cognitive, social), when to add it to prevent impulsive mistakes and when to remove it to speed useful tasks, and share three micro-interventions you can try today. Listeners get clear, tangible examples—email delays, purchase pauses, default tweaks—and a quick guided 60-second experiment to feel how a single small barrier changes decision pace. The tone is entertaining and practical, focused on saving time and reducing overwhelm for busy people who want immediate, low-effort improvements. By the end you’ll have one concrete change to test before tomorrow and a simple mental checklist for when to add or shave friction in daily life.