Interactive Acquisition & Decision Mechanics
Evaluating expensive choices requires mathematical clarity, not static PDFs or vague rules of thumb. These embedded micro-applications run deterministic models directly in your browser.
Gross rate parity is an illusion. Compare your true take-home after self-employment tax, the 20% Section 199A QBI deduction, and $69k Solo 401(k) tax-sheltering.
S-Corp Structure Advantage
At $150/hr over 1,900 billed hours, $114,000 of distributions avoids FICA. Net of the half-SE-tax deduction at a 32% marginal rate and $1,800/yr of payroll and compliance cost.
Local silicon vs. cloud clusters is an hourly utilization question. Identify the exact tipping point where an on-prem workstation outperforms on-demand cloud.
Cloud Rental Advantage
At 120 hrs/mo, $350/mo of depreciation plus electricity costs more than on-demand rental.
Vendor prices escalate; custom builds demand a permanent maintenance tax. Factor fully loaded engineer hours ($210/hr) to evaluate the true 3-year TCO.
Three-Year Build TCO
$100,800 of loaded engineering (3 months at $33,600/mo) plus $22,176/yr of maintenance. That total is what the vendor quote has to beat.
Holding vested RSUs is economically identical to using cash compensation to purchase company stock today. Quantify the concentration risk penalty.
Single-Name Drawdown Exposure
A 30% single-stock drawdown on $180,000 is $54,000 of your own compensation you would have to earn again. Auto-selling into a total-market index removes the single-name bet, not the market one.
