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| Criterion |  Innovation Design Sprint |  Architecture arc42 |  Business Strategy 5-Minuten VC-Check |  Architecture C4 Model |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Purposedifferent | When the product question is unclear and time pressure is high, the method takes a team from an open idea to a testable solution. It connects problem understanding, decision, and learning in one compact format, lowering the risk of spending a lot of energy on a mere guess. | 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. | The 5-Minute VC Check clarifies opportunities and strategic options at the earliest idea stage. It compares problem quality, customer willingness to pay, alternatives, differentiation, and market potential, and captures the result as a VC-check note, go/sharpen/park decision, and risk list. | 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. |
Complexitydifferent | High | Low | Low | Low |
Timedifferent | 4-5 Tage | 1-2 Tage | 5-15 min | 1-4 h |
Participantsdifferent | 5-8 | 1-4 | 1-5 | 1-5 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop | Workshop + async | Workshop + async | Workshop + async |
Outputdifferent | Prototype, Test Findings, Decision Rationale | Architecture Document, Context View, Runtime View, Deployment View | VC-check note, Go/sharpen/park decision, Risk and assumption list, Next validation step | Context Diagram, Container Diagram, Component Diagram |
Tagsno overlap | Design sprintPrototypeValidationInnovation | ArchitectureDocumentationCommunication | StartupValidationCompetition | ArchitectureCommunicationVisualization |