“i spent a minute like finding that perfect number and fussing around like finding a number i was like more invested and more likely to start a free trial um so it was like so maybe the cognitive load was actually creating a little bit more buy-in a little more sunk cost along the path”

Friction in onboarding can increase sunk-cost investment and lift trial starts

Burner removed the phone-number selection screen to reduce friction — and conversions dropped. Users who chose their own number felt personally invested in it; that investment carried them through the paywall. Removing low-value screens is not always right: some screens build the psychological commitment that drives subscriptions.