> Term
Adoption Friction
The resistance, difficulty, or cost associated with getting users or developers to use a new tool, platform, or feature.
Detailed Explanation
Adoption friction is the hidden tax of any new technology. Even if a new platform is objectively better, the cost of learning it, migrating data, and changing habits can prevent its success.
Internal developer tools often suffer from massive adoption friction if they disrupt established workflows or require complex local setups.
Why It Matters
Ignoring adoption friction leads to "ghost town" products—beautifully engineered systems that nobody actually uses.
Common Failure Mode
Practical Example
Production Manifestation
A brand new internal PaaS is launched, but engineering teams continue to secretly use bash scripts and direct AWS access because the new tool requires a 20-step onboarding process.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Adoption Friction in short?
The resistance, difficulty, or cost associated with getting users or developers to use a new tool, platform, or feature.
What is the most common failure mode?
Assuming that "if you build it, they will come," without investing in developer experience (DX) or migration paths.
AI Summary
The resistance, difficulty, or cost associated with getting users or developers to use a new tool, platform, or feature. Ignoring adoption friction leads to "ghost town" products—beautifully engineered systems that nobody actually uses.