Stop Removing Friction. It's Your Best User Research Tool

Growth orthodoxy says remove friction at every step. For trust-dependent products - P2P platforms, safety apps, fintech, healthcare - that's the wrong instinct. When I built a trust-first consumer app with mandatory face and government ID verification, I expected drop-off. Instead I got a 65% install-to-signup rate and a clean split in user intent that no survey or algorithm had surfaced. Users who pushed through the verification gate said "I want to travel with someone." Users who dropped off said "I'm just exploring." Same funnel. Same friction point. Different intent. I call this Friction Inversion - low barrier to discover, high barrier to belong - and it's the most underused tool in trust-first product growth.