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| Criterion | ![]() Systems Thinking Evaporating Cloud | ![]() Product Strategy Lean Canvas | ![]() Operations Root Cause Tree Analysis | ![]() Operations Barrier Analysis |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Purposedifferent | The method makes visible why two seemingly incompatible demands arise and which assumption must be tested to resolve the conflict. | When an early product bet still has too many open points, it brings target group, problem, and assumptions into a single view. It condenses the idea so core risks become nameable. | 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. | For a risk that can only be managed through multiple layers of protection, the method examines the effectiveness of each barrier. It shows where safeguards are missing, too weak, or fail under real conditions. |
Complexitysame | Medium | Medium | Medium | Medium |
Timedifferent | 60-120 min | 45-90 min | 1-3 h | 2-4 h |
Participantsdifferent | 2-8 | 1-6 | 2-8 | 2-6 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop | Workshop + async | Workshop | Workshop + async |
Outputdifferent | Conflict Cloud, Assumption List, Breakthrough Ideas, Next Experiments | Lean Canvas, Core Assumptions, Experiment Backlog | Cause Tree, Evidence Notes, Countermeasures | Barrier Inventory, Failure Analysis per Barrier, Action Backlog |
Tagsno overlap | Theory of ConstraintsAssumptionsSystems thinking | StartupLeanAssumptionsBusiness model | Root causeTreeIncidentQuality | Root causeSafetyIncident |



