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| Criterion |  Operations PDCA Cycle |  Growth Flywheel |  Product Discovery Assumption Mapping |  Product Discovery Smoke Test |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Purposedifferent | For an improvement that still has to prove itself in everyday work, the method runs it through small learning loops. It connects planning, checking, and standardization into a repeatable learning mode. | Growth often breaks down where a reinforcing mechanism builds up too much friction. A Flywheel shows the cycle of value, repetition, and reinforcement meant to sustain growth. | When assumptions still sit unordered in the room, it weighs uncertainty against leverage. It makes visible which hypotheses should be checked first. | 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. |
Complexitydifferent | Low | Medium | Medium | Low |
Timedifferent | 1 h bis mehrere Wochen | 60-120 min | 45-60 min | 1-5 Tage |
Participantsdifferent | 1-8 | 3-8 | 2-8 | Nutzertraffic |
Formatdifferent | Workshop + async | Workshop | Workshop + async | Async |
Outputdifferent | PDCA Log, Experiment Plan, Learning Outcome, Standard Change | Flywheel Map, Friction Points, Growth Levers, Experiment Backlog | Assumption map, Test backlog, Risk ranking | Interest Metrics, Conversion Signal, Learning Note |
Tagsno overlap | Continuous improvementLeanExperiments | GrowthRetentionConversion | AssumptionsRiskExperimentsValidation | ValidationExperimentsDemandGrowth |