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Criterion
Paper illustration of two considered options leading to a decision record with a marked status and visible consequences.
Architecture
Architecture Decision Record
Paper illustration for Golden Circle
Growth
Golden Circle
Paper illustration of Request for Comments (RFC) with its method-specific working model.
Architecture
Request for Comments
Paper illustration for Argument Mapping
Decision Making
Argument Mapping
Purposedifferent
An ADR permanently records an architecture decision with context, trade-offs, and consequence. It creates continuity for later changes because the decision path stays traceable.In positioning and communication, what an offering actually stands for often becomes blurred. The Golden Circle sharpens a product's inner rationale and connects purpose, approach, and offering into a clear statement.An RFC clarifies architecture context, options, and consequences. It structures technical context, alternatives, tradeoffs, open questions, and review feedback, and captures the result as an RFC document, reviewer comments, and a decision rationale.When statements, evidence, and counterarguments get mixed up, a debate quickly loses its structure. Argument Mapping breaks a thesis down into its reasoning and makes visible what it really rests on.
Complexitydifferent
LowLowMediumMedium
Timedifferent
15-45 min30-60 min1-3 Wochen vom Draft bis zur Entscheidung1-3 h
Participantsdifferent
1-31-83-20 Reviewer1-8
Formatdifferent
AsyncWorkshop + asyncAsyncWorkshop + async
Outputdifferent
ADR File, Decision Log, RationaleWhy Statement, Messaging Notes, Positioning DraftRFC document, Reviewer comments, Decision rationale, Follow-up ADR or ticketsArgument Map, Evidence Gaps, Decision Rationale
Tagsno overlap
ArchitectureRationaleDocumentationGovernance
MarketingPositioningCommunication
ArchitectureDecisionAsyncGovernance
SensemakingDecisionRationale
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