Skip to main content

​
Feature Guide: Journey Bifurcation - Acumen/Fiftyknots Symbiosis

​
Overview

Journey Bifurcation routes your venture through the right path based on your needs. If you need fast validation with automated tools, you stay in the Acumen track. If you need hands-on expert guidance to build your product, you graduate to the Fiftyknots track with Sherpa support and human expertise. This feature ensures you get the right resources at the right time - no wasted motion, no wrong turns.

​
Step-by-Step Guide

  1. Complete your ICP selection - Navigate to the ICP Selection page and choose your customer category. The system analyzes your venture profile and business model to determine your optimal starting path.
  2. Review your journey assignment - Check the Journey Dashboard to see which track you’ve been assigned. Acumen focuses on self-service validation with AI-powered tools. Fiftyknots delivers full expert-led product development.
  3. Progress through checkpoints - As you complete stages in your current journey, the platform monitors your readiness for graduation. Track your progress on the Journey Overview page where you’ll see completion metrics and upcoming milestones.
  4. Trigger graduation assessment - When you meet the criteria for your track, the system runs a graduation check. Navigate to the Lifecycle Journey page to view your graduation eligibility and required thresholds.
  5. Execute track transition - If approved for graduation from Acumen to Fiftyknots, confirm the transition on the Graduation Criteria page. Your Sherpa gets assigned automatically and your new journey phases activate immediately.
  6. Access your new capabilities - After graduation, explore the expanded features available in your track. Fiftyknots users gain access to the Sherpa Dashboard, expert matching tools, and structured product development workflows.

​
Common Questions

What determines which track I start in?
Your ICP category drives the initial assignment. Pre-product founders building new ventures typically start in Acumen for validation. Corporate initiatives and established ventures with budget for expert teams often start directly in Fiftyknots. Can I switch tracks mid-journey?
Yes, through the graduation mechanism. The platform evaluates your progress against specific criteria. When you prove traction in Acumen, you can graduate to Fiftyknots for expert-led development. Graduation is one-way - you don’t downgrade once you’ve moved up. What happens to my work when I graduate tracks?
Everything carries forward. Your briefs, assessments, data room documents, and completed work products transfer into your new journey. No data loss, no duplication of effort. Do I pay differently in each track?
Yes. Acumen operates on self-service pricing with lower per-stage costs. Fiftyknots includes expert allocation and Sherpa guidance, which increases investment but delivers hands-on implementation support. How long does graduation take?
Instant. Once you meet graduation criteria and confirm the transition, your new journey activates immediately. Your assigned Sherpa receives notification and begins onboarding within 24 hours.

​
Troubleshooting

I can’t see graduation criteria on my dashboard
Check your current stage completion on the Journey Status page. Graduation criteria only appear when you’re within one stage of meeting threshold requirements. If you’re early in your journey, focus on completing your current stage tasks first. The system says I don’t meet graduation requirements
Review the specific criteria on the Graduation Criteria admin page. Common blockers include incomplete quality assessments, missing customer validation evidence, or unfinished planning artifacts. Navigate to the Confidence Report page to identify gaps. My Sherpa wasn’t assigned after graduation
Check the Sherpa Matching status page for your job. If matching failed, you can manually trigger candidate generation through the Sherpa Dashboard. Contact support if no candidates appear within 48 hours. I started in the wrong track
Admins can manually update your ICP category through the Lifecycle admin tools. This triggers a fresh journey assignment. Reach out through the Support ticketing system with your job ID and the correct track you need. ICP Selection - Your starting point before bifurcation occurs. This feature determines which track fits your venture profile and sets your initial journey definition. Navigate to /icpselection to review or update your selection. Sherpa Journey - The core workflow for Fiftyknots track users. Once you graduate from Acumen, this feature manages your relationship with your assigned Sherpa, tracks milestone progress, and coordinates expert work. Access it at /sherpadashboard. Lifecycle Journey - The underlying progression engine that powers both tracks. View your current position, completed stages, and upcoming tasks regardless of which track you’re in. Check /lifecyclejourney to see your full path forward.