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  "body": "# Switching friction\n- Updated: 2026-04-28\n- Tags: switching, friction\n- Canonical: https://archive.citrusgate.com/themes/switching-friction\nMigration cost and workflow disruption feel bigger than the stated upside, even when the product case looks credible.\n## Angle\nFor this cohort, a broad platform story needed a narrow adoption wedge that proved value before the buyer committed to deeper migration.\n## Diagnostic Questions\n- What can the buyer adopt without ripping out the current workflow?\n- Which incumbent, bundled tool, or internal process must be displaced first?\n- What migration proof reduces perceived switching cost before the full platform decision?\n## Patterns\n### In selected cases, bundled tools created a good-enough fallback.\nSome buyers already had budget, workflow familiarity, and security approval for bundled capabilities, even when the standalone product looked stronger.\n### In selected cases, phased adoption reduced re-platforming anxiety.\nA seller could lower risk by letting buyers start with one workflow, one team, or one proof path before committing to a broader platform move.\n### In selected cases, internal build remained a credible fallback.\nWhere buyers had technical teams and existing building blocks, the seller needed to prove that the paid layer was safer and cheaper than maintaining a solution internally.\n## Featured Weekly Memos\n## Featured Notes\n- Switching cost kills momentum before product fit (https://archive.citrusgate.com/notes/switching-cost-kills-momentum-before-product-fit)",
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