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| Criterion |  Architecture C4 Model |  Architecture Architecture Inception Canvas |  Product Discovery Experiment Canvas |
|---|---|---|---|
Purposedifferent | The C4 Model makes a system legible across several resolution levels, from context down to code. It suits situations where different audiences need to understand the same architecture from different altitudes. | 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. | When experiments become unreadable after the fact, it arranges hypothesis, signal, and learning goal on a single canvas. It separates problem, assumption, solution, and evidence. The result is captured as a Completed Experiment Canvas and a Success Metric. |
Complexitysame | Low | Low | Low |
Timedifferent | 1-4 h | 1-2 h | 30-60 min |
Participantsdifferent | 1-5 | 3-8 | 1-5 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop + async | Workshop | Workshop + async |
Outputdifferent | Context Diagram, Container Diagram, Component Diagram | Inception Canvas, Risks, Goal List, Open Questions | Completed Experiment Canvas, Success Metric |
Tagsno overlap | ArchitectureCommunicationVisualization | AlignmentArchitectureCanvas | ExperimentsValidationDiscoveryHypothesis |
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