thinking-opportunity-cost
Opportunity Cost Thinking
Overview
Opportunity cost is the value of the next-best alternative foregone when making a choice. Every decision to do X is simultaneously a decision not to do Y, Z, and everything else. Engineers often focus on the value of their chosen path while underweighting what they're giving up.
Core Principle: The true cost of anything is what you give up to get it. A "free" option that consumes time has massive opportunity cost.
When to Use
- Resource allocation (time, money, people)
- Feature prioritization
- Build vs. buy decisions
- Technical debt evaluation
- Career decisions
- Architecture choices
- Saying "yes" to any commitment
Decision flow:
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