flâneur

The Most Valuable Commodity in the World is Friction

kyla.substack.com · 3,597 words · saved by 1 readers

This is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a paid subscriber. April 30th, 2025. 35,000 feet above the ground. It's 3:17 AM and I'm on a flight from San Francisco circling somewhere above Ohio after being diverted from Cleveland in an attempt to get to NYC. My phone still promises I'll land at Newark on time, albeit 5 hours later than intended, its nice little frictionless interface undisturbed by reality. The pilot's voice crackles over the intercom: "Folks, we're being told the weather's too bad to land. We're heading to DC to refuel." A collective groan ripples through the cabin. The physical world is breaking down again, while the digital tried its best to maintain a comforting illusion. I want to talk about friction1. Not regulations or transaction costs, but the effort required to move through systems, and how that effort is being redistributed in today's economy. We were taught that effort matters! That working hard, learni

Good morning from Orlando, Florida! April 30th, 2025. 35,000 feet above the ground. It's 3:17 AM and I'm on a flight from San Francisco circling somewhere above Ohio after being diverted from Cleveland in an attempt to get to NYC. My phone still promises I'll land at Newark on time, albeit 5 hours later than intended, its nice little frictionless interface undisturbed by reality. The pilot's voice crackles over the intercom: "Folks, we're being told the weather's too bad to land. We're heading to DC to refuel." A collective groan ripples through the cabin. The physical world is breaking…

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