Funnel Leaks

A funnel is designed to narrow attention.
A leak is where attention escapes anyway.

Leaks occur at points where the system’s assumptions fail. The user hesitates, questions the premise, opens a new tab, or simply leaves. These moments are treated as errors to be corrected.

From the system’s perspective, a leak represents lost value. Attention entered the funnel but did not complete the path. Analytics flag these points. Designers adjust interfaces. Copy is rewritten. Timing is changed.

Most optimization work focuses on sealing leaks.

Pop-ups appear at exit intent. Buttons are repositioned. Language becomes more urgent. Alternatives are hidden. The goal is not to inform, but to reduce the number of viable exits.

Some leaks are structural. They occur when the funnel’s framing no longer matches the user’s context. Others are accidental — broken links, slow loads, unclear instructions. Both are addressed the same way: by attempting to close them.

Not all leaks are failures.

From the user’s perspective, a leak can be a moment of agency. A pause. A reconsideration. A chance to reassert control over where attention goes next.

From a laundering perspective, leaks reveal where the system exerts pressure. They show where attention resists being shaped into revenue.

Every sealed leak makes the funnel more efficient.
Every unsealed leak leaves room for choice.