I think this is right on. I'd like to add a bit of a corollary -- people tend to like products that fit immediate and specific needs because they reduce the ef

I think this is right on. I'd like to add a bit of a corollary -- people tend to like products that fit immediate and specific needs because they reduce the effort, mental or otherwise, associated with coming to grips with the product (you may have been going here anyways with your comment about friction). We use things for a lot of different reasons, ranging from "my boss told me to" to "I saw it on TV" to "it can help me track my running better." All of these reasons get someone over their initial reluctance and get them to try something. Having a specific product (I can track my running) offers a quicker path to get over this reluctance than a more generic pitch (we have a system that tracks anything! If you spend some effort on it, it can even track your running).