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Selected:Assumption SurfacingLASR (Lightweight Approach for Software Reviews)Architecture Decision RecordRisk Matrix
| Criterion |  Decision Making Assumption Surfacing |  Architecture LASR (Lightweight Approach for Software Reviews) |  Architecture Architecture Decision Record |  Decision Making Risk Matrix |
|---|---|---|---|---|
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. | LASR helps development teams identify where their software falls short of important quality goals and which improvements to consider. A small group with existing system knowledge can make an initial assessment and investigate open questions in more detail. | 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 project faces many possible disruptions, it quickly becomes unclear which risks deserve attention first. It separates options, evaluation criteria, and open risks. The result is captured as a Risk Matrix and a Top Risk List. |
Complexitydifferent | Low | Medium | Low | Low |
Timedifferent | 45-90 min | 3–4 h for initial assessment; preparation and deeper analysis additional | 15-45 min | 30-60 min |
Participantsdifferent | 2-8 | 1 or a small team; particularly suitable for 3–4 people | 1-3 | 3-10 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop + async | Workshop + async | Async | Workshop + async |
Outputdifferent | Assumption List, Critical Assumptions, Learning Plan | Lean Mission Statement describing the software’s purpose, Prioritized quality goals and evaluation criteria, Risks and estimated gaps against quality goals, More closely examined findings and open checks | ADR File, Decision Log, Rationale | Risk Matrix, Top Risk List |
Tagsno overlap | AssumptionsRiskDecisionDiscovery | ArchitectureQualityRiskAssessmentLean | ArchitectureRationaleDocumentationGovernance | RiskDecisionPrioritizationAssessment |