Journey Architect (7-GATE Model)

Design the complete customer journey with measurable gates. Maps every touchpoint from first awareness through purchase, activation, and advocacy with friction scoring at each stage.

When to Use

• Pre-launch journey design
• Conversion funnel optimization
• Content strategy planning
• Sales process design
• Customer experience improvement

What You'll Need

Critical inputs (ask if not provided):

• Product/service being mapped
• Primary buyer persona(s)
• Current sales motion (PLG, sales-led, hybrid)

Nice-to-have:

• Market Analyzer segment data
• Existing funnel metrics
• Customer feedback or interview data

Process

Step 1: Define the 7 Gates

Each gate represents a cognitive/behavioral milestone customers must pass through:

Gate	Name	Customer State	Key Question They Ask
G1	Awakening	Recognizes they have a problem	"Is this actually a problem worth solving?"
G2	Exploration	Begins researching solutions	"What options exist to solve this?"
G3	Consideration	Builds a shortlist	"Which 2-3 solutions should I evaluate seriously?"
G4	Conviction	Commits to a solution	"Can I justify this purchase internally?"
G5	Activation	Starts using the product	"How do I get value from this quickly?"
G6	Integration	Product becomes embedded in workflow	"How does this fit into everything else I do?"
G7	Amplification	Becomes an advocate	"Who else needs to know about this?"

Step 2: Per-Gate Analysis

For EACH gate, document:

Entry Trigger: What event causes the customer to enter this gate?

• Example G1: "Budget review reveals 30% waste in current tooling"

Information Needs: What content/evidence do they need?

• Example G3: "Feature comparison matrix, pricing transparency, peer reviews"

Touchpoints: Where do they interact?

• Example G2: "Web search, peer communities, review sites, analyst reports"

Friction Points: What slows them down or causes abandonment?

• Example G4: "Procurement requires security review, no SOC2 documentation available"

Exit Criteria: What must be true for them to advance?

• Example G5: "Completed first core workflow within 48 hours of signup"

Conversion Benchmark: Target percentage that pass through

• Example: G1->G2: 40%, G2->G3: 25%, G3->G4: 30%, G4->G5: 70%, G5->G6: 50%, G6->G7: 20%

Step 3: Persona Overlay

Map each persona through the 7 gates separately:

• Where do different personas enter the journey? (not always at G1)
• Which gates do they skip or combine?
• Where do different personas have different friction points?
• Who else is involved at each gate? (champion vs. decision maker vs. blocker)

Step 4: Friction-to-Fix Scoring

For every friction point identified, score:

Factor	Scale	Description
Severity	1-5	How badly does it block progression?
Frequency	1-5	What % of customers hit this?
Fix Difficulty	1-5	How hard to resolve? (inverse for priority)

Priority Score = (Severity x Frequency) / Fix Difficulty

Sort descending. Top 10 friction points become the action list.

Output

Save to outputs/journey-map-[product]-[YYYY-MM-DD].md

Deliverables:

1. 7-Gate Journey Map: Full lifecycle map with triggers, touchpoints, content needs, and exit criteria per gate
2. Friction Inventory: Scored and prioritized list of every friction point across all gates
3. Persona Path Variations: How different personas navigate differently through the 7 gates
4. Content/Asset Requirements: What content, tools, and experiences are needed at each gate

Chain Connections

• Next skill: Run battle-scanner to understand how competitors perform at each gate
• Also feeds: demand-engine (G1-G2 needs become demand gen strategy), enablement-forge (G3-G4 needs become sales assets), growth-loop (G5-G7 design becomes retention strategy)
• Enhanced by: Run after market-analyzer (segment data shapes persona paths)