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| Criterion | ![]() Business Strategy GAP Analysis | ![]() Innovation Lean Startup | ![]() Product Discovery Smoke Test | ![]() Product Discovery Fake Door Test |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Purposedifferent | GAP Analysis compares the current state with a target picture and makes the distance manageable. It becomes useful when, ahead of new initiatives, it must become clear which capabilities, processes, or resources are missing. | 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 demand only needs to be roughly verified, it tests interest with minimal effort. It measures whether people would take a next step at all. | When demand is still unclear, it measures interest in a feature before it is built. It separates real behavior from polite agreement and deliberately keeps build effort small. |
Complexitydifferent | Medium | Medium | Low | Medium |
Timedifferent | 1-3 h | Wochen bis Monate je Lernzyklus | 1-5 Tage | 1-5 Tage |
Participantsdifferent | 2-8 | 2-8 | Nutzertraffic | Nutzertraffic |
Formatdifferent | Workshop + async | Workshop + async | Async | Async |
Outputdifferent | Gap Matrix, Action Plan, Risk Notes | Hypothesis list, MVPs, Learning reports, Pivot or persevere decision | Interest Metrics, Conversion Signal, Learning Note | Click Data, Interest Signal, Learning Decision |
Tagsno overlap | StrategyAnalysisPlanning | LeanStartupValidationMVP | ValidationExperimentsDemandGrowth | ValidationExperimentsDemandDiscovery |



