Product teams are trained to remove friction. Fewer clicks, shorter forms, instant checkout. This is usually correct, but it becomes a superstition when every pause is treated as a defect.
Some decisions deserve resistance. Sending money to a new account, deleting a project, publishing to a large audience or granting permanent access are actions where a small interruption can prevent a large mistake.
Friction should buy something
The test is simple: does the extra step create information, reflection or safety? A confirmation dialog that merely repeats the button label is noise. A confirmation that shows the exact consequences is useful.
Good friction is proportional. It appears at moments of asymmetry, where an action is easy to initiate and difficult to reverse. Everywhere else, remove it aggressively.
The goal is not zero friction. The goal is zero meaningless friction.