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| Criterion |  Engineering Golden Path |  Architecture arc42 |  Business Strategy 5-Minuten VC-Check |  Architecture C4 Model |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Purposedifferent | When teams need a reliable default path for frequent use, sprawl quickly emerges without any guiding logic. Golden Path bundles the preferred path so good practice becomes easy and deviation becomes deliberate. | 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 | Medium | Low | Low | Low |
Timedifferent | 1-3 Tage Setup, laufend | 1-2 Tage | 5-15 min | 1-4 h |
Participantsdifferent | 2-8 | 1-4 | 1-5 | 1-5 |
Formatsame | Workshop + async | Workshop + async | Workshop + async | Workshop + async |
Outputdifferent | Golden Path Guide, Templates, Quality Checks | 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 | EngineeringProductivityGovernance | ArchitectureDocumentationCommunication | StartupValidationCompetition | ArchitectureCommunicationVisualization |