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Selected:Assumption MappingRoot Cause Tree AnalysisAssumption SurfacingFailure Mode and Effects Analysis
| Criterion |  Product Discovery Assumption Mapping |  Operations Root Cause Tree Analysis |  Decision Making Assumption Surfacing |  Operations Failure Mode and Effects Analysis |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Purposedifferent | When assumptions still sit unordered in the room, it weighs uncertainty against leverage. It makes visible which hypotheses should be checked first. | For a problem with several suspected causes, the method builds a causal structure instead of a mere list. It makes visible how causes connect and where the strongest points of leverage lie. | Plans often contain assumptions that were never openly stated and remain dangerous precisely because of that. Assumption Surfacing makes these silent premises visible and prioritizes which of them carry the initiative or could sink it. | For a process, product, or service with noticeable failure risks, the method assesses possible failure modes in advance. It directs attention to combinations of occurrence, effect, and detectability. |
Complexitydifferent | Medium | Medium | Low | High |
Timedifferent | 45-60 min | 1-3 h | 45-90 min | 2-6 h |
Participantsdifferent | 2-8 | 2-8 | 2-8 | 3-10 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop + async | Workshop | Workshop + async | Workshop |
Outputdifferent | Assumption map, Test backlog, Risk ranking | Cause Tree, Evidence Notes, Countermeasures | Assumption List, Critical Assumptions, Learning Plan | FMEA Table, Risk Priority, Mitigation Actions |
Tagsno overlap | AssumptionsRiskExperimentsValidation | Root causeTreeIncidentQuality | AssumptionsRiskDecisionDiscovery | RiskQualityOperationsRoot cause |