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Criterion
Paper illustration of Working Backwards with its method-specific working model.
Product Discovery
Working Backwards
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
Paper illustration of Decision Rights Mapping with its method-specific working model.
Decision Making
Decision Rights Mapping
Purposedifferent
When the target state and benefit need to be clear first, it thinks backward from the desired outcome into the product logic. It sharpens vision, objections, and value proposition before elaboration.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.In organizations with many stakeholders, it often blurs who actually decides and who is merely consulted. It separates options, evaluation criteria, and open risks. The result is captured as a Decision Rights matrix and an agreement.
Complexitydifferent
MediumLowLowMedium
Timedifferent
4-8 h, mehrere Iterationen20–45 min45-90 min90-180 min
Participantsdifferent
2-6Small cross-functional group2-84-12
Formatdifferent
Workshop + asyncWorkshopWorkshop + asyncWorkshop
Outputdifferent
Future Press Release, FAQ, Vision StatementRisk list, Mitigation plan, Assumption logAssumption List, Critical Assumptions, Learning PlanDecision Rights Matrix, Agreement
Tagsno overlap
VisionNarrativeAlignment
RiskDecisionFailurePlanning
AssumptionsRiskDecisionDiscovery
DecisionGovernanceAlignmentResponsibility
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