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“You're buying an employee, right? If you were to go and buy a software developer you're spending $10,000 a month.”
investment_mindsetcost_comparisonvalue_proposition
What It Means
AI tool costs should be compared to employee wages, not entertainment subscriptions
Why It Matters
Changes perception of AI tool costs from expensive to incredibly cheap
When It's True
When AI tools actually provide employee-level value and capabilities
When It's Risky
When overestimating AI capabilities or underestimating setup/maintenance costs
How to Apply
1
Calculate equivalent employee costs for comparison
2
Focus on productivity gains rather than absolute costs
3
Justify AI investments through employee replacement logic
Example Scenario
“Entrepreneur justifies $600 Mac Mini purchase by comparing to hiring developer for 2 hours”