Frictionless: 7 Steps to Remove Barriers, Unlock Value, and Outpace Your Competition in the AI Era

5 Star Review

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Editorial Book Review:

By Daniel Ross

Frictionless arrives at a moment when organizations are racing to adopt artificial intelligence but still struggling with the very real bottlenecks that slow innovation. What makes this book stand out is its clarity. Nicole Forsgren and Abi Noda show that the true competitive advantage in the AI era is not the volume of automation a company adopts but the quality of the environment in which its teams work. From the first pages, the book feels like a wake up call delivered with calm authority.

Reading it is energizing because it blends research, lived experience, and tangible solutions in a way that feels both practical and validating. You get a sense of relief as the authors name the invisible blockers teams feel every day. You also feel a real spark as they outline a path forward that is ambitious yet achievable. It engages the reader intellectually through the presentation of evidence and emotionally through the acknowledgment of common challenges across various industries.

This publication examines the interconnected themes of systems thinking, organizational wellness, and the human dimension of technological labor.  While predominantly intended for software leadership, its underlying principles possess broad applicability across diverse domains.  Individuals seeking to comprehend the collaborative creation of value will find these insights broadly applicable.

Forsgren and Noda articulate their ideas with exceptional clarity. Their structure is clear, their examples are precise, and their explanations are well-founded in research without becoming overly complex. Moments such as their examination of wasted cognitive burden or their depiction of developer friction as an economic driver are particularly noteworthy. Their language is precise and succinct, making even complex concepts easy to comprehend.

Frictionless is a significant contribution to the conversation about work, technology, and innovation. It leaves you with a sharp understanding of what must change and a renewed sense of possibility. Anyone serious about building high performing teams or leading in the AI era should read it.

About the Author 

Nicole Forsgren

Dr. Nicole Forsgren is considered one of the most prominent and important minds in DevOps and developer productivity. She is author of two best-selling, award-winning books: Accelerate: The Science of Lean Software and DevOps, which netted a Shingo Publication Award, and The DevOps Handbook: How to Create World-Class Agility, Reliability & Security in Technology Organizations, now in its second edition. Her latest, Frictionless: 7 Steps to Remove Barriers, Unlock Value, and Outpace Your Competition in the Age of AI, was recently released. She is best known for her work measuring the technology process and as the lead investigator on the largest DevOps studies to date. She has been an entrepreneur (with an exit to Google), professor, developer, sysadmin, and performance engineer. 

Nicole’s work has been published in several peer-reviewed journals and conferences. Nicole earned her PhD in Management Information Systems and Masters in Accounting from the University of Arizona. She splits her time between the Southwest and the PNW, and recharges her brain with gym time, tacos, and Diet Coke.

About the Author 

Abi Noda

Abi Noda is the Co-Founder and CEO of DX, where he leads the company's strategic direction and R&D efforts. His work focuses on helping leaders measure and improve developer experience.

Before joining DX, Noda held engineering leadership roles at several companies and was the Founder and CEO of Pull Panda, which was acquired by Github in 2019.