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| Criterion | ![]() Agile Sprint Retrospective | ![]() Architecture Architecture Decision Record | ![]() Architecture C4 Model | ![]() Agile 4Ls Retrospective |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Purposedifferent | When a sprint is over and friction shouldn't simply be carried forward, it opens the view onto collaboration and patterns. It creates space to see causes and changes together. | 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. | 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. | When a sprint should not only be assessed but also learned from, it captures experience in clear learning categories. It records what worked, what's missing, and what should run differently next time. |
Complexitysame | Low | Low | Low | Low |
Timedifferent | Up to 3 hours for a one-month Sprint; shorter Sprints are usually shorter | 15-45 min | 1-4 h | 45–75 min |
Participantsdifferent | Scrum Team | 1-3 | 1-5 | Team members involved |
Formatdifferent | Workshop | Async | Workshop + async | Workshop |
Outputdifferent | Improvement actions, Team agreements | ADR File, Decision Log, Rationale | Context Diagram, Container Diagram, Component Diagram | 4Ls Board, Learning Themes, Improvement Actions |
Tagsno overlap | RetrospectiveImprovementLearning | ArchitectureRationaleDocumentationGovernance | ArchitectureCommunicationVisualization | RetrospectiveLearningReflectionTeam |



