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| Criterion | ![]() Product Strategy Lean Canvas | ![]() Operations 5 Whys | ![]() Operations Root Cause Tree Analysis | ![]() Operations Root Cause Analysis |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Purposedifferent | 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 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. | 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. | When a problem keeps recurring and the cause stays unclear, the method exposes the underlying mechanism. It separates symptom, guess, and robust explanation from one another. |
Complexitydifferent | Medium | Low | Medium | Medium |
Timedifferent | 45-90 min | 15-30 min | 1-3 h | 1-4 h |
Participantsdifferent | 1-6 | 2-6 | 2-8 | 3-8 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop + async | Workshop | Workshop | Workshop + async |
Outputdifferent | Lean Canvas, Core Assumptions, Experiment Backlog | Root cause notes, Countermeasures | Cause Tree, Evidence Notes, Countermeasures | Problem Statement, Cause Hypotheses, Confirmed Causes, Action Plan |
Tagsno overlap | StartupLeanAssumptionsBusiness model | Root causeIncidentLeanProblem solving | Root causeTreeIncidentQuality | Root causeProblem solvingQualityIncident |



