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| Criterion |  Product Strategy Counter Metrics |  Architecture Software Architecture Canvas |  Product Discovery Assumption Mapping |  Architecture Architecture Inception Canvas |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Purposedifferent | When a headline metric could mask side effects, it adds guardrail signals against unwanted outcomes. It connects customer value, product logic, and decision priorities. The result is captured as a counter-metric list and guardrail definitions. | The Software Architecture Canvas reduces a system to the most important architecture decisions, constraints, and interfaces. It is useful when teams need a resilient overall picture quickly. | When assumptions still sit unordered in the room, it weighs uncertainty against leverage. It makes visible which hypotheses should be checked first. | 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. |
Complexitydifferent | Low | Low | Medium | Low |
Timedifferent | 30-60 min | 1-2 h | 45-60 min | 1-2 h |
Participantsdifferent | 2-6 | 3-10 | 2-8 | 3-8 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop + async | Workshop | Workshop + async | Workshop |
Outputdifferent | Counter Metric List, Guardrail Definitions | Architecture Canvas, Goals, Constraints, Quality Attributes | Assumption map, Test backlog, Risk ranking | Inception Canvas, Risks, Goal List, Open Questions |
Tagsno overlap | MetricsMeasurementStrategyExperiments | CanvasArchitectureAlignmentWorkshop | AssumptionsRiskExperimentsValidation | AlignmentArchitectureCanvas |