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Friction

Why It Matters

The gap between plan and execution isn't failure - it's inevitable. Good strategy accounts for friction rather than assuming it away.

The Key Move

For any plan, ask: where will friction accumulate? How does the plan degrade as friction increases? Simple plans have less friction. Reserves absorb friction. Slack enables adaptation.

Classic Application

Logistics. Moving an army looks simple on paper. In reality: roads are muddy, bridges collapse, supplies get lost, units take wrong turns, weather delays movement. Everything takes longer and costs more than planned.

Surprising Application

Software projects. Every estimate is wrong. Integration is harder than expected. Dependencies fail. The response isn't better estimation - it's acknowledging friction and building slack.

Failure Modes

  • Confusing friction with incompetence (some friction is irreducible)
  • Planning without margin for friction
  • Adding complexity that increases friction faster than it adds value

Go Deeper

Clausewitz on friction. Any military memoir on the reality of operations.