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| Criterion |  Innovation Design Thinking |  Innovation Lean Startup |  Innovation Contradiction Analysis |  Operations 5 Whys |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Purposedifferent | For complex user problems with an uncertain cause, the method connects observation, interpretation, and experiment into a learning cycle. It keeps the focus on real needs and avoids premature solution language. This produces robust decisions for product and service. | For uncertain business assumptions, the method forces the idea into contact with real market reactions early. It separates wishful picture, assumption, and observable behavior, so that learning becomes faster than planning. This translates uncertainty into measurable insight. | When a system should improve while another measure suffers as a result, the method makes the underlying conflict precisely formulable. It separates the desired effect from its side effect. This makes solutions possible that address the contradiction deliberately instead of half-heartedly. | For a single, hard-to-explain deviation, the method exposes the causal chain behind the visible symptom. It keeps the cause open until a controllable condition emerges instead of a mere description. |
Complexitydifferent | High | Medium | Medium | Low |
Timedifferent | 1 Tag bis mehrere Wochen | Wochen bis Monate je Lernzyklus | 60-120 min | 15-30 min |
Participantsdifferent | 4-10 | 2-8 | 2-8 | 2-6 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop | Workshop + async | Workshop | Workshop |
Outputdifferent | Problem Statement, Prototype, Test Learnings | Hypothesis list, MVPs, Learning reports, Pivot or persevere decision | Contradiction Statement, Abstraction Notes, Solution Principles, Concept Ideas | Root cause notes, Countermeasures |
Tagsno overlap | InnovationPrototypeResearch | LeanStartupValidationMVP | ContradictionsInnovationProblem solving | Root causeIncidentLeanProblem solving |