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| Criterion |  Architecture ATAM (Architecture Tradeoff Analysis Method) |  Innovation Lean Startup |  Architecture arc42 |  Architecture Views and Beyond |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Purposedifferent | ATAM helps teams weigh architecture decisions when quality goals compete. The team considers business goals, stakeholder expectations, and technical decisions together. The evaluation shows which risks need further investigation. | For uncertain business assumptions, the method forces the idea into contact with real market reactions early. It separates wishful picture, assumption, and observable behavior, so that learning becomes faster than planning. This translates uncertainty into measurable insight. | arc42 structures architecture knowledge so teams can document system, decisions, and risks consistently. The template builds a living understanding of the architecture instead of scattered notes. | Views and Beyond organizes architecture into several views so no single diagram has to do everything at once. This makes it possible to choose the representation that fits the stakeholder's question. |
Complexitydifferent | High | Medium | Low | Medium |
Timedifferent | Several meetings plus preparation and analysis; total effort depends on scope | Wochen bis Monate je Lernzyklus | 1-2 Tage | 1-3 Tage |
Participantsdifferent | Evaluation team, architects, and relevant stakeholders | 2-8 | 1-4 | 1-4 |
Formatsame | Workshop + async | Workshop + async | Workshop + async | Workshop + async |
Outputdifferent | Prioritized quality scenarios in a utility tree, Architecture risks with reasoning and assumptions, Sensitivity and trade-off points, Findings report with open investigations | Hypothesis list, MVPs, Learning reports, Pivot or persevere decision | Architecture Document, Context View, Runtime View, Deployment View | Architecture Views, Cross-view Notes, Rationale |
Tagsno overlap | ArchitectureQualityRiskTradeoffsStakeholders | LeanStartupValidationMVP | ArchitectureDocumentationCommunication | DocumentationStakeholdersArchitecture |