The three reasoning approaches serve distinct but complementary roles in innovation, with each suited to different phases and types of challenges.
Deductive reasoning applies established theories and frameworks to specific situations, working from general principles to specific conclusions. You can use deductive reasoning to apply the established theory, “build market share and profits will follow,” to guide decisions about new product launches.
Inductive reasoning builds theories from observed patterns and empirical data. This bottom-up approach identifies trends that can inform future business decisions and help recreate success.
Abductive reasoning generates the best possible explanation for incomplete or uncertain information, creating novel hypotheses about “what might be”. This is the primary mode innovators and entrepreneurs use when facing ambiguous problems.
Design thinking processes fundamentally depend on abductive reasoning, particularly during the ideation phase.
While all three are useful thinking tools, but, if you want to expand your innovation muscle, focus on developing abductive reasoning skills.
Thinking Space 