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| Criterion |  Operations Gemba Walk |  Innovation Lean Startup |  UX Research Contextual Inquiry |  Product Strategy Lean Canvas |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Purposedifferent | When there is uncertainty about the real course of a process, the method brings observation to the place where work happens. It combines perception, follow-up questions, and process knowledge so decisions rest on actual workflows instead of assumptions. | 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 work processes are known only from accounts and the real context stays hidden, Contextual Inquiry makes behavior at the workplace visible. Observation and follow-up questions together show how people actually work, get interrupted, and improvise. | 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. |
Complexitydifferent | Low | Medium | Medium | Medium |
Timedifferent | 30-120 min | Wochen bis Monate je Lernzyklus | 1-3 Wochen | 45-90 min |
Participantsdifferent | 2-6 | 2-8 | 4-12 Beobachtungen | 1-6 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop | Workshop + async | Workshop + async | Workshop + async |
Outputdifferent | Observation Notes, Improvement Ideas | Hypothesis list, MVPs, Learning reports, Pivot or persevere decision | Field Notes, Workflow Insights, Pain Points | Lean Canvas, Core Assumptions, Experiment Backlog |
Tagsno overlap | LeanObservationProcessOperations | LeanStartupValidationMVP | UX researchObservationContext | StartupLeanAssumptionsBusiness model |