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| Criterion |  Systems Thinking Soft Systems Methodology |  Product Strategy Lean Canvas |  Product Discovery Smoke Test |  Product Discovery Fake Door 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. | When an early product bet still has too many open points, it brings target group, problem, and assumptions into a single view. It condenses the idea so core risks become nameable. | 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. | 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 | High | Medium | Low | Medium |
Timedifferent | 0.5-3 Tage | 45-90 min | 1-5 Tage | 1-5 Tage |
Participantsdifferent | 5-15 | 1-6 | Nutzertraffic | Nutzertraffic |
Formatdifferent | Workshop | Workshop + async | Async | Async |
Outputdifferent | Rich Picture, Root Definitions, Conceptual Models, Change Agenda | Lean Canvas, Core Assumptions, Experiment Backlog | Interest Metrics, Conversion Signal, Learning Note | Click Data, Interest Signal, Learning Decision |
Tagsno overlap | Soft systemsComplexitySensemakingSystems thinking | StartupLeanAssumptionsBusiness model | ValidationExperimentsDemandGrowth | ValidationExperimentsDemandDiscovery |