RIGHT ENGINES
Problem economics
Estimate what a repeated business problem may cost without pretending the result is guaranteed ROI.
Price against value. Not hours.
Start with the verified annual burden of the problem: responsible-person time, elapsed delay, rework, errors, outside spend, missed opportunities, and key-person dependency. Compute and vendor cost are not the customer value proposition.
A simple burden model
Annual burden = recurring labor + delay impact + rework or error exposure + outside spend. Enter approximate values, ranges, or “unknown.” Never turn an estimate into a promised return.
Illustrative example—not guaranteed ROI
If a recurring operational problem imposes an evidenced $100,000 annual burden, a $9,950 engine that materially reduces it may be economically rational. The result depends on actual adoption, evidence, validation, and measured change.
What should be compared?
Compare the cost of leaving the problem unchanged with the smallest sufficient solution. Include implementation effort, governance, risk, maintenance, and the value of retaining accountable human judgment.
Problem economics · The $100,000 problem · Worth building? · Build or keep paying? · How we build
Published 2026-08-31 · Updated 2026-08-31 · Version 1.0