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Calculate the opportunity cost

I am considering spending {{resources}} on {{initiative}}.

I am considering spending {{resources}} on {{initiative}}. Compute the opportunity cost: (1) the next-best use of these resources and what it would return; (2) hidden costs beyond the obvious — learning curve, maintenance burden, attention drain, foreclosed options; (3) benchmark against the best alternative use and judge whether this is worth it; (4) point out which cost I am most likely underestimating; (5) rank my options assuming I can only do one thing.

How to use it

Replace the {{variables}} with your own details, then paste the whole block into ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, or any other assistant. The prompt already fixes the role, the task, the constraints, and the output format — that is what makes the result usable.

Chinese version

我在考虑投入 {{资源}} 去做 {{事项}}。请帮我算机会成本：1) 这笔资源（时间/钱/人）最次优的用途是什么，能换来什么；2) 除了显性成本，还有哪些隐性成本（学习曲线、维护负担、注意力占用、选项丧失）；3) 用「同样资源做别的能得到的最大价值」作为基准，判断这件事是否值得；4) 指出我可能低估的那一项；5) 给一个「如果只能做一件事」的排序建议。

FAQ

What is this prompt for?

I am considering spending {{resources}} on {{initiative}}.

Do I need to pay to use it?

No — this prompt is in the free tier and is shown in full.

Does it work with any AI model?

Yes. It is plain text, so it works with ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, and any other assistant.

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