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| Criterion |  Systems Thinking Polarity Mapping |  Product Discovery Smoke Test |  Architecture ATAM (Architecture Tradeoff Analysis Method) |  Product Discovery Assumption Mapping |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Purposedifferent | Polarity Mapping makes tensions between two opposing poles tangible, such as standardization and adaptation or control and autonomy. The method guards against making apparent either-or decisions prematurely. | 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. | ATAM helps teams weigh architecture decisions when quality goals compete. The team considers business goals, stakeholder expectations, and technical decisions together. The evaluation shows which risks need further investigation. | When assumptions still sit unordered in the room, it weighs uncertainty against leverage. It makes visible which hypotheses should be checked first. |
Complexitydifferent | Medium | Low | High | Medium |
Timedifferent | 1-2 h | 1-5 Tage | Several meetings plus preparation and analysis; total effort depends on scope | 45-60 min |
Participantsdifferent | 3-12 | Nutzertraffic | Evaluation team, architects, and relevant stakeholders | 2-8 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop | Async | Workshop + async | Workshop + async |
Outputdifferent | Polarity Map, Warning Signs, Balance Actions | Interest Metrics, Conversion Signal, Learning Note | Prioritized quality scenarios in a utility tree, Architecture risks with reasoning and assumptions, Sensitivity and trade-off points, Findings report with open investigations | Assumption map, Test backlog, Risk ranking |
Tagsno overlap | Systems thinkingTradeoffsLeadership | ValidationExperimentsDemandGrowth | ArchitectureQualityRiskTradeoffsStakeholders | AssumptionsRiskExperimentsValidation |