Cost of Delay
Version 1.0.0 · Updated 2026-07-30
CORE DEFINITION
Quantify 'How much money is lost by delaying this task by one week?'. It is not the project cost, but the opportunity cost. A feature worth a million, if released a month late, loses a month's worth of a million in value.
SCAFFOLDING EFFECT
Reduce cognitive load
- Scheduling weight: When two tasks conflict, don't ask 'Which is more important?', ask 'Which has a higher cost of delay?'. Prioritize high-value tasks that are time-sensitive.
Anchor fast decisions
Cost of delay refers to the loss of benefits or value due to delayed delivery, and is a key metric to monetize 'time'. Using it for prioritization ensures that work with the greatest loss per unit of waiting is done first.
MINIMUM ACTION
In progress 0/4Practice this model in one real situation:
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Source support: Explicit
- en.wikipedia.orghttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cost_of_delayverified
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