The (curious case of the) pinky finger phone unlock

I recently went to my Pixel 2 phone and deleted my Index finger fingerprint unlock. I also deleted the configuration that unlocks my phone when it is near by BeatsX headphones.

You must thing I have gone crazy. Why would I make things harder for myself? Why would I want to look like a fool unlocking my phone with my pinky?

Friction is your friend

We live in a world where technology makes things easy for you. Call a cab with a single click with Uber and Lyft. Order groceries with Instacart. Auto deliver staples from Amazon (or Staples :)). Life is becoming easier by the day!

This comes at a cost. When things become easy, and they give you immediate rewards, they become deeply embedded habits.

But these habits hurt you. How much do you think the habitual checking of your phone affects you? Both Apple and Google recently introduced the Digital Wellbeing tools to help you aware of how much time you spend on the phone. And to set limits on certain usage patterns.

Those are coming soon to Android and iOS.

I took a more brute force approach — by adding friction to my phone sign in. As a Product Manager, I do the reverse; I help people do their job better by reducing friction associated with the job.

In this case, Friction is my friend.

And it’s just not my phone unlock. Look at my Facebook page.

Yes, I logged out. And I (try to do) with every session.

P.S., Did you notice how Facebook is telling me that there are two notifications that need my attention, and I should just freakin log in? Sneaky!

Friction = better outcomes

This is not just the only way to make friction your friend. Friction can help you learn better! How do you ask?

According to this article.

In January 2011, a trio of researchers published the results of an experiment in which they demonstrated that students who read material in difficult, unfamiliar fonts learned it more deeply than students who read the same material in conventional, familiar fonts.

The phenomenon is called cognitive disfluency.

The harder it is to learn something, the more effort you put into processing it And the more effort you put, the more you learn. And the more you can contribute back.

I apply this to team meetings all the time.

See, I can — in several cases — present a reasonable path to solving a customer problem. It will be easy to understand. It will also probably results in fewer deeper discussions.

But what if I did not come in with an answer? Or one where obviously more things needed to be figured out? The initial meeting will have more friction.

That’s the kind of friction you want to be aware of — and celebrate — as a Product Manager. As one venture capitalist once told me:

Don’t worry about being right. Worry about getting the right decision made.

Friction in your planning routines

A last place where I introduce more friction than is necessary is my morning and evening planning routines. I am currently using the Self Journal amd have 5 steps in the morning before I begin my day, and 3 steps to wind down and reflect in the evening.

It is kinda painful. I could simplify it. I could optimize it.

But it works. It works because it adds just the right amount of friction. So I don’t do any of it in auto pilot mode. It forces me to really think through my day, my priorities, and whether I should be doing what I am doing. Because I subscribe to the following philosophy.

What you do is infinitely more important that how you do it. Efficiency is still important, but is useless unless applied to the right things. — Tim Ferris

So where do you use plan to use? Let me know!

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