> ## Content Index
> Fetch the complete content index at: https://www.philsimon.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further.

# My Latest HBR Article on the Benefits of Friction
- URL: https://www.philsimon.com/my-latest-hbr-article/
- Published: 2018-05-11T14:10:23.000Z
- Updated: 2025-07-02T16:14:35.000Z
- Description: In an excerpt from my latest book, I describe how one company used analytics and Agile methods to largely solve a thorny problem.
- Author: Phil Simon
- Tags: Analytics, Dataviz, Social Media, Agile, ATAW, The Visual Organization

Over the years, I've been able to land more than my fair share of [high-level media placements](https://www.philsimon.com/about-phil/media-mentions/). Collectively, they have helped me get to where I am today. Few are more prestigious, though, than [the pieces that I have written for ](https://hbr.org/search?search%5Ftype=search-all&term=phil+simon&ref=philsimon.com)[*Harvard Business Review*](https://hbr.org/search?search%5Ftype=search-all&term=phil+simon&ref=philsimon.com). (Click [here](https://www.philsimon.com/hbr-webinar-visual-organization/) for to watch my webinar on *The Visual Organization*.)

A few months ago, I saw a call for stories on data-driven ways that companies have solved problems. I approached the folks at HBR. My pitch: how one organization dealt with a particularly thorny data issue using Agile methods. Yes, Nextdoor *added* friction to its product and made it harder to use. After a bit of back-and-forth, the article—excerpted from [*Analytics: The Agile Way*](https://www.amazon.com/dp/1119423473?psimo-20&ref=philsimon.com)—is now live.

[Have at it](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kfdO97xYG%5F8&ref=philsimon.com) below.

> How Nextdoor Addressed Racial Profiling on Its Platform [https://t.co/SYyGdJPH51](https://t.co/SYyGdJPH51?ref=philsimon.com)
> 
> — Harvard Biz Review (@HarvardBiz) [May 11, 2018](https://twitter.com/HarvardBiz/status/994945953584025600?ref%5Fsrc=twsrc%5Etfw&ref=philsimon.com)

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## Postscript

This piece will appear in the book [*Agile: The Insights You Need from Harvard Business Review*](https://amzn.to/2Tp2StQ?ref=philsimon.com).