The Cost of Guessing

The chart puts two bars next to each other, measured by total money spent. The "diagnose first" bar is short: a small $6K check to find the real problem, then about $30K spent fixing the right thing, for roughly $36K. The "hire on a hunch" bar is tall and red - $50K to $150K spent on the wrong fix, with a ghosted block on top for the re-hire you'll still need. Paying to learn the real problem through wasted work costs far more than paying to find it up front.