ADR

A lightweight document that records an important architecture decision, its context, and its consequences.

Motivation

This concept matters because growing software organizations need shared language for decisions, tradeoffs, and execution. Without it, technical work becomes harder to coordinate and improve.

Where it fits

ADR belongs to the software track and the software architecture layer.

Mental model

Think of it as a coordination tool: it helps people make better decisions together, not just write more code.

Common mistakes

• Treating it as bureaucracy instead of a way to reduce ambiguity.
• Applying it without context or without explaining the tradeoff.
• Forgetting that the goal is better software outcomes, not process for its own sake.