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| Criterion |  Innovation Lean Startup |  Innovation Design Thinking |  Operations Root Cause Analysis |  Innovation Design Sprint |
|---|---|---|---|---|
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 complex user problems with an uncertain cause, the method connects observation, interpretation, and experiment into a learning cycle. It keeps the focus on real needs and avoids premature solution language. This produces robust decisions for product and service. | 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. | When the product question is unclear and time pressure is high, the method takes a team from an open idea to a testable solution. It connects problem understanding, decision, and learning in one compact format, lowering the risk of spending a lot of energy on a mere guess. |
Complexitydifferent | Medium | High | Medium | High |
Timedifferent | Wochen bis Monate je Lernzyklus | 1 Tag bis mehrere Wochen | 1-4 h | 4-5 Tage |
Participantsdifferent | 2-8 | 4-10 | 3-8 | 5-8 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop + async | Workshop | Workshop + async | Workshop |
Outputdifferent | Hypothesis list, MVPs, Learning reports, Pivot or persevere decision | Problem Statement, Prototype, Test Learnings | Problem Statement, Cause Hypotheses, Confirmed Causes, Action Plan | Prototype, Test Findings, Decision Rationale |
Tagsno overlap | LeanStartupValidationMVP | InnovationPrototypeResearch | Root causeProblem solvingQualityIncident | Design sprintPrototypeValidationInnovation |