Frictionless user experience
Mapping friction points across the user journey
Hi PMs and Founders
As I mentioned before, I’ve been working on my own startup, Ziply, targeted towards B2B SaaS companies. We recently finished the first version of the product and are onboarding our early pilot customers. This is not a self-serve product—it requires some training and setup.
I know, I know. You’re probably thinking, “If your product needs training or a manual, then it’s too complicated. Does the iPhone have a manual?”
I get it.
But the reality is that Enterprise B2B SaaS is rarely that simple. There are multiple personas, settings to configure, and workflows that aren’t always linear or uniform.
For example, in my product, an admin has to:
Invite other admins
Invite employee advocates
Invite partners
Connect their social media accounts
Create campaigns
Set up contests
Publish posts to social media
Amplify via advocates
Advocates log in and post
That’s a lot of steps. Do I need all of them for onboarding? Probably not.
I have been thinking about the idea of friction and creating a great experience for customers.
There are two way to optimize and think about friction.
If I optimize onboarding to explain every single feature upfront, it stretches too long, delaying time to value. And that’s risky. Customers priorities may shift, patience runs out, and users may simply give up.
If I optimize for the AHA moment, then I have to bypass some steps and get back to them later, maybe multiple times. For now, I am trying to get these customers to the aha moment and time to value quicker. Pick a valuable use case and get them to see the value of the product.
That way it builds trust and keeps the users motivated.
The Importance of a Frictionless Experience
Even when customers believe in your product’s value, a frustrating experience can derail everything.
Think about it: When users struggle through onboarding, they don’t just feel frustrated with the process—they start doubting the product itself. A frictionless experience helps them feel good about using the tool, reinforcing that they made the right decision.
(Remember Emotional Jobs to Be Done? )
As PMs, our job is to map out the entire user journey, even before purchase.
Here’s what that journey looks like:
1. Discovering the product – Can they easily find information about its capabilities?
2. Trying it out – Is there a low-friction way to experience value quickly?
3. Setting up – How painful is the onboarding process?
4. Reaching the Aha! moment – How fast do they get to the key value proposition?
5. Getting others in the org to use it – How easy is it to bring in colleagues?
6. Getting work done efficiently – Does it actually help them achieve their goals?
7. Getting support – When they need help, is it seamless or frustrating?
Each of these steps has potential friction points. Identify the slow spots—especially where users are waiting. Or where they have to manually enter some information.
Conclusion
I get it—some friction is inevitable in B2B SaaS. These aren’t consumer apps where a user can just sign up and go. But as PMs, our job is to reduce friction wherever possible without compromising necessary complexity. While acknowledging that B2B can be complicated and it is necessary to have multiple steps.
A great product isn’t just about what it does—it’s about how easily users can experience its value. The faster they do, the more likely they’ll stick around.