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| Criterion | ![]() Innovation Lean Startup | ![]() Knowledge Modeling Knowledge Mapping | ![]() 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. | Knowledge Mapping makes knowledge, gaps, and transfer paths visible across a field. It fits when expertise should not just exist but also be findable and transferable. | 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 | 1-3 h | 1-5 Tage | 1-5 Tage |
Participantsdifferent | 2-8 | 3-12 | Nutzertraffic | Nutzertraffic |
Formatdifferent | Workshop + async | Workshop | Async | Async |
Outputdifferent | Hypothesis list, MVPs, Learning reports, Pivot or persevere decision | Knowledge Map, Critical Knowledge Areas, Transfer Plan | Interest Metrics, Conversion Signal, Learning Note | Click Data, Interest Signal, Learning Decision |
Tagsno overlap | LeanStartupValidationMVP | KnowledgeMappingRisk | ValidationExperimentsDemandGrowth | ValidationExperimentsDemandDiscovery |



