Why we built Diverge around divergent thinking
5 min read
Neurodiversity, ADHD, AuDHD, Leadership, Studio culture, Problem solving, Strategy
Diverge was built around how we actually think and work. Neurodiversity isn’t a positioning trick for us, it’s the foundation of how we solve problems.
Want to talk it through?
In the early conversations about forming Diverge, we kept coming back to the same questions.
What would genuinely separate us from other agencies?
Why would teams choose to work with us?
For years, I’ve been comfortable describing myself as a divergent thinker. I tend to approach problems from unusual angles and see connections others don’t. Digging into why eventually led to a late-stage clinical diagnosis of combined-type ADHD, at the age of 44.
It turned out I really did think differently.
That diagnosis gave language to something I’d lived with for a long time, and it also sparked a desire to talk more openly about neurodiversity. Not as a badge, but as a practical advantage when it comes to solving complex problems.
Many people in our extended team are neurodivergent. It’s probably one of the reasons we gravitated towards each other and work so well together. Across strategy, product, design, and delivery, that different way of thinking has helped us excel.
When it came time to write the “why us” for Diverge, it felt important to be honest about that.
As Rob, my co-founder and Head of Design, has pointed out more than once, the way we think is the thing clients notice. The pattern-spotting. The reframing. The tendency to keep worrying at a problem at 2am until it finally clicks.
That’s the work. That’s the difference.
So rather than hiding it behind process diagrams or agency language, we decided to lean into it.
We genuinely do think differently.
The unknown doesn’t scare us, it’s usually where the interesting work starts.
Where others see blockers, we tend to see options.
We enjoy turning fuzzy, difficult situations into something tangible and workable.
We don’t operate as a detached supplier. We work alongside teams, openly and honestly, as an extension of their own capability. It’s not always tidy, but it’s transparent, collaborative, and grounded in real outcomes.
Diverge wasn’t built to look like an agency.
It was built to reflect how we solve problems, and to do work we’re proud to stand behind.