Principle of Minimum Energy

You're seeing it when users consistently ignore a feature that requires multiple steps while flocking to a simpler alternative. They're following the minimum-energy path, and the product should follow them.

You're seeing it when a team reverts to old processes despite a new system being "better on paper." The old way requires less energy — fewer new habits, less cognitive load, lower switching cost.

You're seeing it when a cheaper, simpler product wins market share from a superior but complex competitor. Customers are minimising the total energy — cost, learning curve, switching friction — required to get a job done.

Audit every customer touchpoint and internal workflow for energy barriers. Where people resist or drop off, the energy cost is too high. Reduce friction on the desired path until it becomes the path of least resistance. The best products don't demand behaviour change — they eliminate the need for it.

Bezos designed Amazon around the minimum-energy principle for customers. One-click ordering, Prime's removal of shipping decisions, and algorithmic recommendations all reduce the cognitive and transactional energy required to buy. Bezos understood that customers don't want more choices — they want less friction. Every Amazon innovation asks the same question: how do we make the lowest-energy path lead to a purchase? Internally, the "two-pizza team" structure minimises coordination energy. The six-page memo minimises the energy needed to reach shared understanding. For founders, Bezos demonstrates that sustainable competitive advantage often comes from systematically eliminating energy barriers that competitors accept as normal.