Identify barriers to value

While friction points cause minor slowdowns or annoyances in the customer journey, barriers to value completely prevent customers from receiving the benefits your product promises. Think of friction as speed bumps and barriers as roadblocks. Understanding this distinction helps teams prioritize which issues demand immediate attention.

Barriers to value manifest in 3 main forms:

• Access barriers prevent customers from even starting their journey (e.g., incompatible devices, geographic restrictions).
• Comprehension barriers stop progress when customers can't understand how to extract value (e.g., complex pricing that obscures savings).
• Activation barriers occur when customers understand the value but can't achieve it due to system limitations.

For example, a fitness app might have friction in its onboarding (too many questions), but a true barrier exists if the workout videos won't load on certain devices. The friction is annoying; the barrier makes the product worthless. Review your journey map for moments where customers completely stop rather than just slow down.