[hammersklavier]

You must look at these things as an engineer. It's not just enough to make an investment; you must also make the most productive investment possible. And to do that, you have to balance benefits against costs. The most productive investments have the highest benefit relative to cost; they are not necessarily those with the highest costs or the highest absolute benefits. Don't be fooled by the numbers: crunch them.

Engineering isn't about making political coalitions. It's about making the numbers work. It's about understanding what the best possible project actually is, rather than just taking what someone else says ipso facto.