Check whether the outcomes are actually comparable
Two cases may use the same word for different outcomes. Growth might refer to users in one account and revenue in another; success might mean a launch milestone rather than durable operation. Write the precise outcome and observation period for each case.
Check whether one source reports an early result while another describes a later reversal. A contradiction can disappear when the timeline is reconstructed. Keep both stages rather than selecting the one that supports your preference.
Compare the conditions around the action
Hold the proposed mechanism in view and compare customer need, timing, alternatives, resources and execution. Do not create an endless list of differences; prioritize those that could plausibly change how the action works.
For an illustrative subscription comparison, different purchase frequency or service cost could matter more than the companies’ industries. State why each selected difference is relevant and what evidence supports it.
Keep multiple explanations alive
Write a small set of competing explanations and the observation each would predict. One explanation may concern the mechanism, another the necessary capability and another the measurement itself. Identify evidence that distinguishes them.
If the available sources cannot separate the explanations, say so. Uncertainty is a valid research result. Do not choose a confident narrative merely because it makes the comparison easier to present.
Turn the disagreement into a conditional decision
Conclude with the conditions under which you would choose each option. If a crucial condition is unknown in your own setting, design a small test or obtain the missing operating evidence before committing.
The useful output is often a boundary statement: this approach is worth testing when these conditions hold, and should be avoided or adapted when they do not. Preserve the counterexample as part of that boundary.
Use this worksheet for your decision
Copy this into your notes. Leave unknowns visible instead of filling gaps with guesses.
Case A outcome and period: Case B outcome and period: Common proposed mechanism: Potentially decisive differences: Competing explanations: Evidence that distinguishes them: Unresolved condition in our setting: Conditional recommendation: Next test:Download the text worksheet ↓
Find evidence in the archives
Choose a supporting case and a counterexample with a different outcome. Read their sources and check whether their conditions match yours.
Cases to practice with (read and check the underlying sources):
Bring your question to the cases
Search a company or topic in the app, read the cases and ask follow-up questions to compare approaches.