One of the key principles of money is ‘opportunity cost.’ It means that when I buy something, I have to give up something else in return. We think we buy because we need something, but we often forget that we could buy something else instead. We rarely consider ‘opportunity cost’ when making a purchase. We do not compare other values against our needs. Buying something means giving up something else, but we often don’t realize it. When we spend money, we should also consider the ‘opportunity cost’; yet, in reality, we aren’t trained to do so. By making a purchase, we bypass the value comparison that may not offer any additional benefits. Maybe it’s because we lack knowledge, or perhaps the idea isn’t appealing. - Joseph’s “just my thoughts”
In September 1999, NASA’s unmanned Mars climate probe “MCO” exploded in Mars’ orbit. Manufacturer Lockheed Martin set up the data unit as a “yard,” but NASA mistook it as a “meter.” The MCO entered the atmosphere of Mars 100 km below the original orbit and exploded in friction. Communication error had blown away $ 125 million. With this opportunity, NASA decided that the units used in space development were “meters”. A slip of the tongue in business doesn’t end just a mistake accidentally. It must undoubtedly damage the “cash flow”. - Joseph’s “just my thoughts”