Frameworks

Short models for long conversations.

Useful enough to remember. Honest enough to argue with.

Featured / 01

The Effective Task Cost framework

The visible price of AI is only one line on the invoice. The completed task carries the rest.

ETC = Direct Cost + Remediation Leakage + Expansion Leakage

Use the model to inspect a workflow, not to fake precision.

01 / DefineWhat is the task supposed to finish?

02 / CountWhat did the system charge?

03 / RepairWhat did it take to correct?

04 / BoundWhere does the original task end?

05 / JudgeWas the outcome worth the total?

Read the full argument

Framework / 02

LLMs as Cars

Compare the whole journey, not only the engine. A cheaper model is not cheaper if it needs more wrong turns, repairs, and human steering to reach the same destination.

The model is the engine. The task is the journey.

Framework / 03

The completion boundary

Before the boundary, corrections belong to the original task. After the boundary, attractive new directions are separate work. The line protects both budget and attention.

Finish the job before opening a new one

StartBoundaryDone