Is This The Best Use Of Our Time?

Shreyas Doshi observed that teams fill their calendars with 'positive ROI' activities - things that provide more value than they cost. The problem? In high-leverage situations, there are hundreds of positive-ROI options. Most of them aren't worth doing.

The shift: from ROI thinking to opportunity cost thinking. 'When we think about opportunity cost, we are no longer thinking, Is this a good use of my time? Instead, you are thinking, Is this the BEST use of my time?'

Parents fall into ROI traps constantly. 'Soccer is good for them.' 'Piano lessons are valuable.' 'This birthday party is positive.' 'That playdate is beneficial.' Each thing, in isolation, provides positive returns. But you can't do everything.

Opportunity cost thinking asks: What are we NOT doing because we're doing this? Is driving to three activities really worth more than an unstructured afternoon at home? Is the structured playdate better than the wandering exploration?

Not everything positive is worth doing. The question isn't 'Is this good?' It's 'Is this the best thing we could be doing right now?'