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| Criterion |  Engineering Golden Path |  Innovation Lean Startup |  Architecture arc42 |  Architecture Architecture Decision Record |
|---|---|---|---|---|
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. | For uncertain business assumptions, the method forces the idea into contact with real market reactions early. It separates wishful picture, assumption, and observable behavior, so that learning becomes faster than planning. This translates uncertainty into measurable insight. | 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. | 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. |
Complexitydifferent | Medium | Medium | Low | Low |
Timedifferent | 1-3 Tage Setup, laufend | Wochen bis Monate je Lernzyklus | 1-2 Tage | 15-45 min |
Participantsdifferent | 2-8 | 2-8 | 1-4 | 1-3 |
Formatdifferent | Workshop + async | Workshop + async | Workshop + async | Async |
Outputdifferent | Golden Path Guide, Templates, Quality Checks | Hypothesis list, MVPs, Learning reports, Pivot or persevere decision | Architecture Document, Context View, Runtime View, Deployment View | ADR File, Decision Log, Rationale |
Tagsno overlap | EngineeringProductivityGovernance | LeanStartupValidationMVP | ArchitectureDocumentationCommunication | ArchitectureRationaleDocumentationGovernance |