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| Criterion |  Decision Making Decision Tree |  Architecture Architecture Decision Record |  Product Discovery Assumption Mapping |  Decision Making Assumption Surfacing |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Purposedifferent | For decisions with follow-on paths and dependencies, a linear comparison is often not enough. A Decision Tree shows how options branch under conditions and which consequences hang on each branch. | 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 assumptions still sit unordered in the room, it weighs uncertainty against leverage. It makes visible which hypotheses should be checked first. | 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. |
Complexitydifferent | Medium | Low | Medium | Low |
Timedifferent | 30-90 min | 15-45 min | 45-60 min | 45-90 min |
Participantsdifferent | 1-6 | 1-3 | 2-8 | 2-8 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop + async | Async | Workshop + async | Workshop + async |
Outputdifferent | Decision Tree, Option Map, Assumption List | ADR File, Decision Log, Rationale | Assumption map, Test backlog, Risk ranking | Assumption List, Critical Assumptions, Learning Plan |
Tagsno overlap | DecisionTreeOptions | ArchitectureRationaleDocumentationGovernance | AssumptionsRiskExperimentsValidation | AssumptionsRiskDecisionDiscovery |