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| Criterion | ![]() Innovation Lean Startup | ![]() Operations A3 Problem Solving | ![]() Product Discovery Smoke Test | ![]() Product Discovery Fake Door Test |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Purposedifferent | 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. | For a complex deviation with several people involved, the method bundles problem, analysis, and decision onto one page. It creates a shared working space where causes, countermeasures, and follow-up fit together. | 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 | Wochen bis Monate je Lernzyklus | 45-90 min | 1-5 Tage | 1-5 Tage |
Participantsdifferent | 2-8 | 2-5 | Nutzertraffic | Nutzertraffic |
Formatdifferent | Workshop + async | Workshop + async | Async | Async |
Outputdifferent | Hypothesis list, MVPs, Learning reports, Pivot or persevere decision | A3 Report, Action Plan, Root Cause Analysis | Interest Metrics, Conversion Signal, Learning Note | Click Data, Interest Signal, Learning Decision |
Tagsno overlap | LeanStartupValidationMVP | LeanProblem solvingCoachingOperations | ValidationExperimentsDemandGrowth | ValidationExperimentsDemandDiscovery |



