What does it mean that output templates reduce startup friction?

Templates for common output types let you start producing immediately.

Example: You need to write a weekly status update. Without a template, you spend twelve minutes deciding what to include, what order to use, and how to format it — burning willpower before you write a single word of content. With a three-section template (Progress / Blockers / Next Week), you open it and start typing substance in the first ten seconds.

Try this: Identify the three output types you produce most frequently — emails, memos, status reports, code reviews, project plans, whatever recurs at least weekly. For each one, create a template by extracting the common structure from your last three good examples of that output. Write the template as section headings, placeholder prompts, and any boilerplate that appears every time. Save the three templates where you can access them instantly. Use each template at least twice in the next week, then revise based on what you added or removed during actual use.