Great Companies Don’t Just Build Apps, They Engineer Experiences

What is the most valuable asset a company has? It’s not just its intellectual property, brand recognition, or even its technology – it is its customers. And in today’s digital-first world, how do companies connect with their customers? Through mobile applications.

Think about it: How do you conduct banking transactions without an app? How do you get news without an app? How do you stream movies without an app? Mobile apps are the gateway between businesses and consumers, shaping how they interact, engage and ultimately decide whether to stay loyal or move on.

The recent downfall of Sonos’s CEO over a failed app redesign is a cautionary tale. Sonos, a company revered for its high-quality speakers and premium audio experience, saw its reputation suffer – not because of hardware failures or sound quality issues, but because of a poorly executed app update. It was a reminder that even the best product in the world can be undone by a frustrating or insecure digital experience that leaves users frustrated.

If a company whose entire business is centered on delivering superior sound can see its customer trust eroded due to a bad app experience, imagine what happens when an app not only aggravates users but also exposes their personal data to security risks.

Security Is Part of the User Experience

Customers expect seamless experiences from the brands they trust. This includes security, which needs to be frictionless and seamless. Reliable and good enough security that remains invisible in the background is far more effective than an over-secure solution that adds unnecessary complexity or hinders usability.

We’ve already seen how companies that ignore UX in their apps suffer. Zipcar, for example, has received criticism for its vehicle app experiences, and while that hasn’t yet had the level of impact seen with Sonos, it’s a sign of what’s coming.

Apps are an extension of the product itself. It can be an app that connects with your car, an app that makes it easy to board a flight, or an app that controls your home’s garage door. It does not matter. If the app performance or security fails to meet the users’ expectations, it will reflect badly on the product or service. Apps’ performance, which security is an important part of, can no longer be an afterthought or second priority.

Friendly Security: The Balance Between Protection and Ease

Mobile app security should be as smooth as the experience of using the app itself. “Friendly” security is needed – a balance between robust protection and ease of use. This isn’t an oxymoron; it’s a fundamental principle of modern cybersecurity. The best security measures operate silently in the background, protecting users without disrupting their experience.

A finance app that requires excessive authentication steps or a streaming service that constantly logs users out in the name of security isn’t just securing the experience—it’s degrading it. And when that happens customer churn abounds. On the flip side, if security is too lax, sensitive data is at risk, exposing businesses to breaches, fines and reputational damage.

Security should never be “one-size fits all” for users. Some situations require stricter security policies to protect the app service, and other situations allow more relaxed security measures to provide a smooth and optimized user experience. This can be achieved by real-time monitoring of the app environment. In the case of a mobile app, this environment is the specific smartphone running that app. With the assistance of AI, real-time identification of high-risk and low-risk environments is in reach.

Why App Security Can’t Be an Afterthought

Sonos’s failure was an app experience issue. But if customers discovered that the same app leaked personal data or exposed payment information, the damage would have been even worse. Security failures don’t just hurt user experience – they erode trust at a fundamental level.

Companies must ensure their apps don’t just function well—they need to be secure without creating barriers for customers. Cybercriminals are always looking for vulnerabilities, and mobile apps remain a prime target. Without proactive protection, businesses risk losing more than just their reputation. That said, unnecessary security measures that are blindly applied to all situations can hurt the user experience and backfire.

Companies must recognize that their mobile app is not just a feature – it’s the lifeline to their customers. The experience must be seamless, the security must be invisible, and the trust must be unbreakable. Anything less, and the risk is not just customer frustration – it’s complete brand erosion.

The Sonos story serves as a clear lesson. In a mobile-first world, the app is the product. If it fails, everything else does too.

Asaf Ashkenazi currently serves as CEO of Verimatrix (www.verimatrix.com).