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Criterion
Paper illustration of Shape Up with its method-specific working model.
Delivery
Shape Up
Paper illustration of a Concept Map with concepts and labelled links
Knowledge Modeling
Concept Mapping
A hypothetical failure makes concrete risks, signals, and fitting mitigations visible.
Decision Making
Pre-Mortem
Paper illustration of an assumption matrix with prioritized test cards
Decision Making
Assumption Surfacing
Purposedifferent
Shape Up helps clarify scope, sequence, and delivery flow. It makes work boundaries and decisions explicit and captures results as pitches, bet-table decisions, and hill charts.Concept Mapping arranges terms and relationships in a network that makes subject-matter connections tangible. It fits when a topic needs to be understood structurally rather than linearly.In early initiatives with many uncertainties, planning quickly turns too optimistic. A pre-mortem makes the expected failure visible in advance and sharpens the view of causes, gaps, and countermeasures.Plans often contain assumptions that were never openly stated and remain dangerous precisely because of that. Assumption Surfacing makes these silent premises visible and prioritizes which of them carry the initiative or could sink it.
Complexitydifferent
MediumMediumLowLow
Timedifferent
6 Wochen Cycle + 2 Wochen Cool-Down1-2 h20–45 min45-90 min
Participantsdifferent
2-4 pro Pitch1-8Small cross-functional group2-8
Formatdifferent
Workshop + asyncWorkshop + asyncWorkshopWorkshop + async
Outputdifferent
Pitches, Bet-table decisions, Hill charts, Cooldown outcomesConcept Map, Relationship Labels, Knowledge GapsRisk list, Mitigation plan, Assumption logAssumption List, Critical Assumptions, Learning Plan
Tagsno overlap
PlanningDeliveryAutonomy
KnowledgeConceptsMappingSensemaking
RiskDecisionFailurePlanning
AssumptionsRiskDecisionDiscovery
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