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Author here. This really boils down to an ROI question.

On one hand, a $50 cash outlay for a validated MVP that's in the hands of users within 48 hours seems like an incredibly good deal from a business perspective.

On the other, my engineering brain is asking if 90% of the same result could be achieved for $10 (a Copilot sub) and just a few more hours of effort.

I'm especially interested to hear from others who build side projects or MVPs: *How do you evaluate the cost of these 'pay-per-generation' AI tools versus traditional flat-rate subscriptions in your budget?*



>On the other, my engineering brain is asking if 90% of the same result could be achieved for $10 (a Copilot sub) and just a few more hours of effort.

my engineering brain is asking:

does "few more hours of effort" mean 2 more hours of effort?

If so do you get paid less than $20 per hour?

If few more hours of effort means more than 2 how many more hours of effort do you think it would have to be for it to be ridiculous for making that effort?


I see what you mean, and had the same thought while I wrote this comment.

Here is the catch, something like copilot is a month subscription.

V0 is pay by usage, and in my small sample size we talking > +$20/day vs $XX / month (20 or 200 idk)


sure, but you're still stuck with the fact that with copilot, according to the rules you have put out, you are losing money with each thing you do, assuming you have to do a few hours more each time.

On the other hand do you have the liquidity to do it all with just v0?

For example I don't really have the liquidity right now to do anything other than free tiers.




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