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Selected:Assumption SurfacingArchitecture Inception CanvasArchitecture Decision RecordDecision Rights Mapping
| Criterion |  Decision Making Assumption Surfacing |  Architecture Architecture Inception Canvas |  Architecture Architecture Decision Record |  Decision Making Decision Rights Mapping |
|---|---|---|---|---|
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. | 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. | 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 organizations with many stakeholders, it often blurs who actually decides and who is merely consulted. It separates options, evaluation criteria, and open risks. The result is captured as a Decision Rights matrix and an agreement. |
Complexitydifferent | Low | Low | Low | Medium |
Timedifferent | 45-90 min | 1-2 h | 15-45 min | 90-180 min |
Participantsdifferent | 2-8 | 3-8 | 1-3 | 4-12 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop + async | Workshop | Async | Workshop |
Outputdifferent | Assumption List, Critical Assumptions, Learning Plan | Inception Canvas, Risks, Goal List, Open Questions | ADR File, Decision Log, Rationale | Decision Rights Matrix, Agreement |
Tagsno overlap | AssumptionsRiskDecisionDiscovery | AlignmentArchitectureCanvas | ArchitectureRationaleDocumentationGovernance | DecisionGovernanceAlignmentResponsibility |