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| Criterion |  Architecture Architecture Decision Record |  Agile Sprint Retrospective |  Agile 4Ls Retrospective |  Agile Start Stop Continue |
|---|---|---|---|---|
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. | When a sprint is over and friction shouldn't simply be carried forward, it opens the view onto collaboration and patterns. It creates space to see causes and changes together. | When a sprint should not only be assessed but also learned from, it captures experience in clear learning categories. It records what worked, what's missing, and what should run differently next time. | When a team wants to deliberately adjust its working behavior, it makes habits visible and assessable. It focuses on concrete changes instead of diffuse mood. |
Complexitysame | Low | Low | Low | Low |
Timedifferent | 15-45 min | Up to 3 hours for a one-month Sprint; shorter Sprints are usually shorter | 45–75 min | 30-60 min |
Participantsdifferent | 1-3 | Scrum Team | Team members involved | 3-12 |
Formatdifferent | Async | Workshop | Workshop | Workshop |
Outputdifferent | ADR File, Decision Log, Rationale | Improvement actions, Team agreements | 4Ls Board, Learning Themes, Improvement Actions | Start Stop Continue Board, Improvement Actions |
Tagsno overlap | ArchitectureRationaleDocumentationGovernance | RetrospectiveImprovementLearning | RetrospectiveLearningReflectionTeam | RetrospectiveImprovementTeamReflection |