B2–C1 · DEC · XTHDEC003

The cost of waiting is [X], while the cost of acting now is [Y]

A reusable frame from “Decision quality and trade-offs”. Compare options by explicit criteria, weigh the cost of delay, and preserve useful flexibility when certainty is impossible.

EN · EnglishThe cost of waiting is [X], while the cost of acting now is [Y].
DE · GermanDie Kosten des Wartens sind [X], während die Kosten des sofortigen Handelns [Y] sind.

Try variations2 · more examples

  1. RU · Translation

    Цена ожидания — потерянный поисковый трафик, а цена действия сейчас — небольшой шанс позже переписать страницу.

    EN · English

     The cost of  waiting  is  lost search traffic, while  the cost of  acting now  is a small  chance of  rewriting the page later.

    DE · German

     Die Kosten des Wartens  sind verlorener Suchverkehr, während  die Kosten des sofortigen Handelns ein kleines Risiko einer späteren Überarbeitung der Seite  sind.

  2. RU · Translation

    Цена ожидания — нерешённая проблема клиента, а цена действия сейчас — контролируемый риск неудачи пилота.

    EN · English

     The cost of  waiting  is unresolved customer  pain, while  the cost of  acting now  is a controlled pilot  failure.

    DE · German

     Die Kosten des Wartens  sind ungelöste Kundenprobleme, während  die Kosten des sofortigen Handelns das kontrollierte Risiko eines gescheiterten Piloten  sind.

Use this move when you want to…

Reasoning move · Decide

Decide

What it does

Compare the cost of delaying a decision with the cost of acting before uncertainty disappears.

Pattern graph

Continue with nearby patterns

Related reasoning patterns4

Nearby structures let you perform the same reasoning move in a different form.

  1. We should agree on the decision criteria before comparing [X] and [Y].Decide · same reasoning move · same study set
  2. If this decision is reversible, we can favour speed over certainty.Decide · same reasoning move · same study set
  3. The choice is not between risk and no risk, but between [X] risk and [Y] risk.Decide · same reasoning move · same study set
  4. We can preserve optionality by [doing X] while postponing [Y].Decide · same reasoning move · same study set

Continue learning

Choose the next useful route.