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| Criterion | ![]() Innovation Design Thinking | ![]() Product Discovery Pretotyping | ![]() Innovation Design Sprint | ![]() Innovation Lean Startup |
|---|---|---|---|---|
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. | Pretotyping clarifies whether a customer problem and solution idea create enough real demand. It separates problem, assumption, solution, and evidence, and captures the result as a pretotyping sketch, test setup, and conversion data. | When the product question is unclear and time pressure is high, the method takes a team from an open idea to a testable solution. It connects problem understanding, decision, and learning in one compact format, lowering the risk of spending a lot of energy on a mere guess. | 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. |
Complexitydifferent | High | Low | High | Medium |
Timedifferent | 1 Tag bis mehrere Wochen | Stunden bis wenige Tage | 4-5 Tage | Wochen bis Monate je Lernzyklus |
Participantsdifferent | 4-10 | 1-4 | 5-8 | 2-8 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop | Workshop + async | Workshop | Workshop + async |
Outputdifferent | Problem Statement, Prototype, Test Learnings | Pretotyping sketch, Test setup, Conversion data, Go or no-go decision | Prototype, Test Findings, Decision Rationale | Hypothesis list, MVPs, Learning reports, Pivot or persevere decision |
Tagsno overlap | InnovationPrototypeResearch | ValidationDemandMVP | Design sprintPrototypeValidationInnovation | LeanStartupValidationMVP |



