View methods side by side.
Choose up to four methods. Add them using the search and share the comparison by copying its link.
| Criterion |  Product Discovery Smoke Test |  Operations 5 Whys |  Operations A3 Problem Solving |  Product Discovery Fake Door Test |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Purposedifferent | 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. | For a single, hard-to-explain deviation, the method exposes the causal chain behind the visible symptom. It keeps the cause open until a controllable condition emerges instead of a mere description. | For a complex deviation with several people involved, the method bundles problem, analysis, and decision onto one page. It creates a shared working space where causes, countermeasures, and follow-up fit together. | 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 | Low | Low | Medium | Medium |
Timedifferent | 1-5 Tage | 15-30 min | 45-90 min | 1-5 Tage |
Participantsdifferent | Nutzertraffic | 2-6 | 2-5 | Nutzertraffic |
Formatdifferent | Async | Workshop | Workshop + async | Async |
Outputdifferent | Interest Metrics, Conversion Signal, Learning Note | Root cause notes, Countermeasures | A3 Report, Action Plan, Root Cause Analysis | Click Data, Interest Signal, Learning Decision |
Tagsno overlap | ValidationExperimentsDemandGrowth | Root causeIncidentLeanProblem solving | LeanProblem solvingCoachingOperations | ValidationExperimentsDemandDiscovery |