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| Criterion |  Decision Making Assumption Surfacing |  Architecture Architecture Decision Record |  Architecture Architecture Inception Canvas |  Decision Making DACI |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Purposedifferent | 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. | 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. | The Architecture Inception Canvas bundles the first architecture questions into a compact decision picture. It fits when an initiative is still in motion but still needs clear guardrails. | In cross-functional decisions, responsibilities quickly blur between approval, influence, and execution. DACI arranges these roles so decision pressure, contribution, and information stay cleanly separated. |
Complexitysame | Low | Low | Low | Low |
Timedifferent | 45-90 min | 15-45 min | 1-2 h | 30-60 min |
Participantsdifferent | 2-8 | 1-3 | 3-8 | 2-10 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop + async | Async | Workshop | Workshop + async |
Outputdifferent | Assumption List, Critical Assumptions, Learning Plan | ADR File, Decision Log, Rationale | Inception Canvas, Risks, Goal List, Open Questions | DACI Matrix, Decision Owner, Decision Log |
Tagsno overlap | AssumptionsRiskDecisionDiscovery | ArchitectureRationaleDocumentationGovernance | AlignmentArchitectureCanvas | DecisionRolesGovernanceAlignment |