Repeating divergence is a modeling heuristic: when a process first splits according to a characteristic, look for that same characteristic causing later splits in the timeline. section 7.4.1
Advertiser experience
An advertiser’s sign-up path diverges according to startup or enterprise affiliation, then later diverges again when a poorly performing advert leads to generic advice for startups but expert help for customized enterprise plans. section 7.4.1
Figure 7.19 A timeline that converges and then diverges at some point later based on the same characteristic
Use the timeline to inspect where paths converge and later diverge again according to the same characteristic. section 7.4.1
Apply the heuristic by:
- Starting with specific customer stories rather than abstract models. section 7.4.1
- Comparing different personas or segments and tracing their experiences across the timeline. section 7.4.1
- Treating later divergence as a prompt to investigate whether the original characteristic still shapes outcomes. section 7.4.1
