Wes Kao  🏛

Because it’s harder to increase desire, fewer people attempt it. So a small improvement can make an outsized impact. Recap: You should reduce friction, but don’t ONLY do that. You can’t spam your way into people’s hearts. Focus on getting people excited & increasing desire.

But there aren’t formulas for increasing desire. The strategy and tactics depend on your business, your assets, what your customer cares about, etc. It’s unique to your situation. That’s why aiming to increase desire feels messier.

We tend to focus on removing friction because it feels comfortable. When you’re reducing friction, you can almost work through a checklist of the most common items of friction.

3. Watch for what gets their eyes to light up. It’s not about what you want to say. It’s about what they are excited to hear. Frame everything in terms of what will get them to take action.https://twitter.com/wes_kao/status/1489992239283683334?s=20&t=DLxYPDCk94SOm_1SzOlV_A …

2. Stand out by developing your spiky point of view. Don’t come to the table with the same pitch as everyone else. Teach them something they don’t already know. Get them to say, “Hmm I never thought about it that way. Go on…”https://twitter.com/wes_kao/status/1449389707385790473?s=20&t=ZQswHJwykhA37D4VRo9oHg …

How can you do this? Here are 3 ways: 1. Appeal to THEIR self-interest, not your own. Help other people get to where they want to go.https://twitter.com/wes_kao/status/1459551667540660224?s=20&t=d7uBuKdSIWVnp4dk2eIzwA …

This isn’t simply about making your product better. This is about crafting the story the customer tells themselves (and their friends) about you. Give them reasons to get excited Give them reasons to feel FOMO Give them reasons to say yes

But cognitive dissonance can work against you: Your customer thinks, “They promised me a gift card if I sign up.” “I signed up because I wanted the gift card, not bc I want to use this product.” “I must not like this product much if they had to bribe me to join.” Yikes.

Cognitive dissonance made the customer get more value out of your product… Without you changing anything about the actual product. That’s value created out of thin air.

Here’s cognitive dissonance working in your favor: Your customer thinks, “I waited in line for a long time to get this thing.” “I would only do that for something I really want.” “This thing is great. I’m so glad I bought it.”

They know their value & they’re betting you will too. If you get in, you’ll say, “Take my money!” Here’s the thing: Cognitive dissonance is real. It can work for you or against you. Your brain likes being consistent with itself.

Another example: Harvard makes you jump through hoops. • Two letters of recommendation • Multiple essays • Hundreds of $ to take the SAT • Thousands of $ in tuition The dean doesn’t say, “Hey, let’s remove all requirements because it’s creating friction.”

What does it mean to increase desire? Remember: People jump through hoops for things *they want*. Did you pick your partner because they were the most convenient? No, you chose them despite any obstacles: Location, conflicts, in-laws… Because you knew they were worth it

To drive growth, you can’t just decrease friction. You have to increase desire:

It’s a race to the bottom… • You can only discount so much • You can only send so many reminder emails The problem is they DON’T WANT what you’re selling. They don't find it compelling or valuable, even if it's easy to buy.

3. You’ll hit a ceiling from reducing friction alone. You’ve made the button as big as it can be You’ve offered as many promotions as you can give You’ve sent lots of reminder emails

2. Lots of products are free–and you still don’t want them. For example, plenty of apps, tools, newsletters, etc cost nothing. But you’re not itching to download or sign up.

1. Decreasing friction ignores that people jump through hoops for things they want. They’re willing to go the extra mile—pay more, do more work, or try harder to get those things. You could have fast page load times, but customers still might not care.