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| Criterion |  Systems Thinking Soft Systems Methodology |  Decision Making Assumption Surfacing |  Product Discovery Assumption Mapping |  Product Discovery Riskiest Assumption Test |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Purposedifferent | Soft Systems Methodology helps explore unclear or politically charged problems systematically. Instead of forcing a quick answer, the method builds a shared understanding of perspectives and room for action. | 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. | When assumptions still sit unordered in the room, it weighs uncertainty against leverage. It makes visible which hypotheses should be checked first. | When an idea hinges on one critical unknown, it prioritizes testing that exact piece of uncertainty first. It separates problem, assumption, solution, and evidence. The result is captured as a prioritized list of assumptions, a test plan, and a result report. |
Complexitydifferent | High | Low | Medium | Medium |
Timedifferent | 0.5-3 Tage | 45-90 min | 45-60 min | 1-2 Wochen pro Iteration |
Participantsdifferent | 5-15 | 2-8 | 2-8 | 2-6 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop | Workshop + async | Workshop + async | Workshop + async |
Outputdifferent | Rich Picture, Root Definitions, Conceptual Models, Change Agenda | Assumption List, Critical Assumptions, Learning Plan | Assumption map, Test backlog, Risk ranking | Prioritized Assumption List, Test Plan, Results Report |
Tagsno overlap | Soft systemsComplexitySensemakingSystems thinking | AssumptionsRiskDecisionDiscovery | AssumptionsRiskExperimentsValidation | ExperimentsValidationDiscoveryAssumptions |