Complexity Cost Calculator

calculate

Read-only

Calculate what software complexity costs an engineering organization per feature, per quarter and per year, how AI adoption changes that cost over the coming quarters, and (Pro) which levers lower it.

Input Schema

Name	Required	Description
`teams`	Yes	Teams in the organization (not more than engineers)
`levers`	No	Pro. Levers that put people back in the loop, or automate, where AI makes a cost worse: human_interfaces (people design and review every change that crosses a module boundary), explain_before_merge, safety_net (contract tests, monitoring, canary releases with automatic rollback) and decision_rights (decisions move to the teams that own the code). Each has its own cost. On Pro the response also has a plan with the cheapest mix of levers for every AI level.
`engineers`	Yes	Engineers in the organization
`ai_adoption`	No	AI adoption for every team. Leave it out for no AI.
`hourly_rate`	No	Cost of one engineering hour; adds dollar amounts to the results
`team_adoption`	No	Pro. Different AI levels per group of teams; the team counts must add up to teams. Use instead of ai_adoption.
`vacuum_effort`	Yes	Hours a typical change would take in a perfectly modular system
`ai_assumptions`	No	Pro. Your own AI values instead of the starting values
`decision_people`	No	People outside the teams who take part in a typical cross-team decision (default 2)
`teams_per_change`	No	Teams a typical change crosses (not more than teams)
`features_per_year`	No	Features shipped per year (default 20)
`lever_assumptions`	No	Pro. Your own values for the levers instead of the starting values
`connascence_degree`	Yes	How many other modules usually change along with it (a count)
`coordination_hours`	Yes	Hours of meetings, threads and reviews the change causes
`calibration_changes`	No	Pro. Past changes with their actual hours, to fit the interdependence factor. Use instead of interdependence_factor.
`incident_cost_hours`	No	Hours an incident costs; give it together with incident_likelihood
`incident_likelihood`	No	Chance that a change causes an incident; give it together with incident_cost_hours
`projection_quarters`	No	Quarters to project (default 12)
`interdependence_factor`	No	How strongly coupled modules drag work along (default 0.5)
`maintenance_hours_per_quarter`	No	Maintenance hours per quarter
`infrastructure_hours_per_quarter`	No	Infrastructure hours per quarter
`connascence_degree_change_per_quarter`	No	Pro. Planned change in coupling per quarter (negative when you decouple)

Output Schema

Name	Required	Description
`ai`	Yes	Team ownership, lost understanding, and which costs AI made cheaper or more expensive than no AI
`plan`	Yes	Pro: the cheapest lever mix for the chosen adoption and for every AI level; null on Free
`levers`	Yes
`notice`	No	Present when Pro fields were sent on the Free plan and ignored
`horizon`	Yes	Hours (and dollars) over the projection, with and without AI
`per_year`	Yes
`projection`	Yes	One entry per quarter with expected, low, high and no-AI values
`assumptions`	Yes	Starting values used, not fitted
`calibration`	No
`per_feature`	Yes
`per_quarter`	Yes
`model_version`	Yes
`sync_tax_multiplier`	Yes

Schema Changelog

Changes observed during successful MCP inspections.

Changed100 schema fields changedNov 6, 2026
- removedInput schema / additionalProperties
```
Removed value: -false
```
- removedInput schema / properties / ai_adoption / additionalProperties
```
Removed value: -false
```
- addedInput schema / properties / ai_adoption / properties / level / anyOf
```
Added value: +[
+  {
+    "const": 0,
+    "type": "number"
+  },
+  {
+    "const": 1,
+    "type": "number"
+  },
+  {
+    "const": 2,
+    "type": "number"
+  },
+  {
+    "const": 3,
+    "type": "number"
+  }
+]
```
- removedInput schema / properties / ai_adoption / properties / level / enum
```
Removed value: -[
-  0,
-  1,
-  2,
-  3
-]
```
- removedInput schema / properties / ai_adoption / properties / level / type
```
Removed value: -"number"
```
- removedInput schema / properties / ai_assumptions / additionalProperties
```
Removed value: -false
```
- removedInput schema / properties / ai_assumptions / properties / levels / additionalProperties
```
Removed value: -false
```
- removedInput schema / properties / ai_assumptions / properties / levels / properties / 1 / additionalProperties
```
Removed value: -false
```
- removedInput schema / properties / ai_assumptions / properties / levels / properties / 1 / properties / automation_saving / $ref
```
Removed value: -"#/properties/lever_assumptions/properties/human_interfaces/properties/understanding_kept"
```
- addedInput schema / properties / ai_assumptions / properties / levels / properties / 1 / properties / automation_saving / maximum
```
Added value: +1
```
- addedInput schema / properties / ai_assumptions / properties / levels / properties / 1 / properties / automation_saving / minimum
```
Added value: +0
```
- addedInput schema / properties / ai_assumptions / properties / levels / properties / 1 / properties / automation_saving / type
```
Added value: +"number"
```
- removedInput schema / properties / ai_assumptions / properties / levels / properties / 1 / properties / review_share / $ref
```
Removed value: -"#/properties/maintenance_hours_per_quarter"
```
- addedInput schema / properties / ai_assumptions / properties / levels / properties / 1 / properties / review_share / minimum
```
Added value: +0
```
- addedInput schema / properties / ai_assumptions / properties / levels / properties / 1 / properties / review_share / type
```
Added value: +"number"
```
- removedInput schema / properties / ai_assumptions / properties / levels / properties / 1 / properties / understanding_kept / $ref
```
Removed value: -"#/properties/lever_assumptions/properties/human_interfaces/properties/understanding_kept"
```
- addedInput schema / properties / ai_assumptions / properties / levels / properties / 1 / properties / understanding_kept / maximum
```
Added value: +1
```
- addedInput schema / properties / ai_assumptions / properties / levels / properties / 1 / properties / understanding_kept / minimum
```
Added value: +0
```
- addedInput schema / properties / ai_assumptions / properties / levels / properties / 1 / properties / understanding_kept / type
```
Added value: +"number"
```
- removedInput schema / properties / ai_assumptions / properties / levels / properties / 2 / $ref
```
Removed value: -"#/properties/ai_assumptions/properties/levels/properties/1"
```
- addedInput schema / properties / ai_assumptions / properties / levels / properties / 2 / properties
```
Added value: +{
+  "ai_speedup": {
+    "description": "Share of own work time AI saves",
+    "exclusiveMaximum": 1,
+    "minimum": 0,
+    "type": "number"
+  },
+  "automation_saving": {
+    "description": "Share of maintenance and infrastructure work AI automates",
+    "maximum": 1,
+    "minimum": 0,
+    "type": "number"
+  },
+  "event_response": {
+    "description": "Share of incident cost AI's reaction to events saves",
+    "exclusiveMaximum": 1,
+    "minimum": 0,
+    "type": "number"
+  },
+  "review_share": {
+    "description": "Review time added, as a share of own work",
+    "minimum": 0,
+    "type": "number"
+  },
+  "understanding_kept": {
+    "description": "Share of code understanding a team keeps for code AI writes",
+    "maximum": 1,
+    "minimum": 0,
+    "type": "number"
+  }
+}
```
- addedInput schema / properties / ai_assumptions / properties / levels / properties / 2 / type
```
Added value: +"object"
```
- removedInput schema / properties / ai_assumptions / properties / levels / properties / 3 / $ref
```
Removed value: -"#/properties/ai_assumptions/properties/levels/properties/1"
```
- addedInput schema / properties / ai_assumptions / properties / levels / properties / 3 / properties
```
Added value: +{
+  "ai_speedup": {
+    "description": "Share of own work time AI saves",
+    "exclusiveMaximum": 1,
+    "minimum": 0,
+    "type": "number"
+  },
+  "automation_saving": {
+    "description": "Share of maintenance and infrastructure work AI automates",
+    "maximum": 1,
+    "minimum": 0,
+    "type": "number"
+  },
+  "event_response": {
+    "description": "Share of incident cost AI's reaction to events saves",
+    "exclusiveMaximum": 1,
+    "minimum": 0,
+    "type": "number"
+  },
+  "review_share": {
+    "description": "Review time added, as a share of own work",
+    "minimum": 0,
+    "type": "number"
+  },
+  "understanding_kept": {
+    "description": "Share of code understanding a team keeps for code AI writes",
+    "maximum": 1,
+    "minimum": 0,
+    "type": "number"
+  }
+}
```
- addedInput schema / properties / ai_assumptions / properties / levels / properties / 3 / type
```
Added value: +"object"
```
- removedInput schema / properties / calibration_changes / items / additionalProperties
```
Removed value: -false
```
- addedInput schema / properties / engineers / maximum
```
Added value: +9007199254740991
```
- removedInput schema / properties / incident_cost_hours / $ref
```
Removed value: -"#/properties/maintenance_hours_per_quarter"
```
- addedInput schema / properties / incident_cost_hours / minimum
```
Added value: +0
```
- addedInput schema / properties / incident_cost_hours / type
```
Added value: +"number"
```
- removedInput schema / properties / infrastructure_hours_per_quarter / $ref
```
Removed value: -"#/properties/maintenance_hours_per_quarter"
```
- addedInput schema / properties / infrastructure_hours_per_quarter / minimum
```
Added value: +0
```
- addedInput schema / properties / infrastructure_hours_per_quarter / type
```
Added value: +"number"
```
- removedInput schema / properties / lever_assumptions / additionalProperties
```
Removed value: -false
```
- removedInput schema / properties / lever_assumptions / properties / decision_rights / additionalProperties
```
Removed value: -false
```
- removedInput schema / properties / lever_assumptions / properties / decision_rights / properties / people_removed / $ref
```
Removed value: -"#/properties/lever_assumptions/properties/human_interfaces/properties/understanding_kept"
```
- addedInput schema / properties / lever_assumptions / properties / decision_rights / properties / people_removed / maximum
```
Added value: +1
```
- addedInput schema / properties / lever_assumptions / properties / decision_rights / properties / people_removed / minimum
```
Added value: +0
```
- addedInput schema / properties / lever_assumptions / properties / decision_rights / properties / people_removed / type
```
Added value: +"number"
```
- removedInput schema / properties / lever_assumptions / properties / decision_rights / properties / record_hours_per_change / $ref
```
Removed value: -"#/properties/maintenance_hours_per_quarter"
```
- addedInput schema / properties / lever_assumptions / properties / decision_rights / properties / record_hours_per_change / minimum
```
Added value: +0
```
- addedInput schema / properties / lever_assumptions / properties / decision_rights / properties / record_hours_per_change / type
```
Added value: +"number"
```
- removedInput schema / properties / lever_assumptions / properties / explain_before_merge / additionalProperties
```
Removed value: -false
```
- removedInput schema / properties / lever_assumptions / properties / explain_before_merge / properties / speedup_given_up / $ref
```
Removed value: -"#/properties/lever_assumptions/properties/human_interfaces/properties/understanding_kept"
```
- addedInput schema / properties / lever_assumptions / properties / explain_before_merge / properties / speedup_given_up / maximum
```
Added value: +1
```
- addedInput schema / properties / lever_assumptions / properties / explain_before_merge / properties / speedup_given_up / minimum
```
Added value: +0
```
- addedInput schema / properties / lever_assumptions / properties / explain_before_merge / properties / speedup_given_up / type
```
Added value: +"number"
```
- removedInput schema / properties / lever_assumptions / properties / explain_before_merge / properties / understanding_recovered / $ref
```
Removed value: -"#/properties/lever_assumptions/properties/human_interfaces/properties/understanding_kept"
```
- addedInput schema / properties / lever_assumptions / properties / explain_before_merge / properties / understanding_recovered / maximum
```
Added value: +1
```
- addedInput schema / properties / lever_assumptions / properties / explain_before_merge / properties / understanding_recovered / minimum
```
Added value: +0
```
- addedInput schema / properties / lever_assumptions / properties / explain_before_merge / properties / understanding_recovered / type
```
Added value: +"number"
```
- removedInput schema / properties / lever_assumptions / properties / human_interfaces / additionalProperties
```
Removed value: -false
```
- removedInput schema / properties / lever_assumptions / properties / human_interfaces / properties / incident_share / $ref
```
Removed value: -"#/properties/lever_assumptions/properties/human_interfaces/properties/understanding_kept"
```
- addedInput schema / properties / lever_assumptions / properties / human_interfaces / properties / incident_share / maximum
```
Added value: +1
```
- addedInput schema / properties / lever_assumptions / properties / human_interfaces / properties / incident_share / minimum
```
Added value: +0
```
- addedInput schema / properties / lever_assumptions / properties / human_interfaces / properties / incident_share / type
```
Added value: +"number"
```
- removedInput schema / properties / lever_assumptions / properties / human_interfaces / properties / review_share / $ref
```
Removed value: -"#/properties/maintenance_hours_per_quarter"
```
- addedInput schema / properties / lever_assumptions / properties / human_interfaces / properties / review_share / minimum
```
Added value: +0
```
- addedInput schema / properties / lever_assumptions / properties / human_interfaces / properties / review_share / type
```
Added value: +"number"
```
- removedInput schema / properties / lever_assumptions / properties / safety_net / additionalProperties
```
Removed value: -false
```
- removedInput schema / properties / lever_assumptions / properties / safety_net / properties / build_hours_per_team / $ref
```
Removed value: -"#/properties/maintenance_hours_per_quarter"
```
- addedInput schema / properties / lever_assumptions / properties / safety_net / properties / build_hours_per_team / minimum
```
Added value: +0
```
- addedInput schema / properties / lever_assumptions / properties / safety_net / properties / build_hours_per_team / type
```
Added value: +"number"
```
- removedInput schema / properties / lever_assumptions / properties / safety_net / properties / test_share / $ref
```
Removed value: -"#/properties/maintenance_hours_per_quarter"
```
- addedInput schema / properties / lever_assumptions / properties / safety_net / properties / test_share / minimum
```
Added value: +0
```
- addedInput schema / properties / lever_assumptions / properties / safety_net / properties / test_share / type
```
Added value: +"number"
```
- removedInput schema / properties / lever_assumptions / properties / safety_net / properties / upkeep_hours_per_team_per_quarter / $ref
```
Removed value: -"#/properties/maintenance_hours_per_quarter"
```
- addedInput schema / properties / lever_assumptions / properties / safety_net / properties / upkeep_hours_per_team_per_quarter / minimum
```
Added value: +0
```
- addedInput schema / properties / lever_assumptions / properties / safety_net / properties / upkeep_hours_per_team_per_quarter / type
```
Added value: +"number"
```
- removedInput schema / properties / levers / additionalProperties
```
Removed value: -false
```
- removedInput schema / properties / team_adoption / items / additionalProperties
```
Removed value: -false
```
- removedInput schema / properties / team_adoption / items / properties / level / $ref
```
Removed value: -"#/properties/ai_adoption/properties/level"
```
- addedInput schema / properties / team_adoption / items / properties / level / anyOf
```
Added value: +[
+  {
+    "const": 0,
+    "type": "number"
+  },
+  {
+    "const": 1,
+    "type": "number"
+  },
+  {
+    "const": 2,
+    "type": "number"
+  },
+  {
+    "const": 3,
+    "type": "number"
+  }
+]
```
- addedInput schema / properties / team_adoption / items / properties / level / description
```
Added value: +"AI adoption level: 0 none, 1 coding help, 2 AI does all the coding, 3 AI does coding, checks, reviews and monitoring"
```
- addedInput schema / properties / team_adoption / items / properties / teams / maximum
```
Added value: +9007199254740991
```
- addedInput schema / properties / teams / maximum
```
Added value: +9007199254740991
```
- addedInput schema / properties / teams_per_change / maximum
```
Added value: +9007199254740991
```
- changedOutput schema / properties / ai / additionalProperties
```
Previous value: -trueNew value: +{}
```
- changedOutput schema / properties / assumptions / additionalProperties
```
Previous value: -trueNew value: +{}
```
- removedOutput schema / properties / calibration / $ref
```
Removed value: -"#/properties/per_quarter"
```
- addedOutput schema / properties / calibration / additionalProperties
```
Added value: +{}
```
- addedOutput schema / properties / calibration / properties
```
Added value: +{}
```
- addedOutput schema / properties / calibration / type
```
Added value: +"object"
```
- changedOutput schema / properties / horizon / additionalProperties
```
Previous value: -trueNew value: +{}
```
- removedOutput schema / properties / levers / $ref
```
Removed value: -"#/properties/per_quarter"
```
- addedOutput schema / properties / levers / additionalProperties
```
Added value: +{}
```
- addedOutput schema / properties / levers / properties
```
Added value: +{}
```
- addedOutput schema / properties / levers / type
```
Added value: +"object"
```
- changedOutput schema / properties / notice / additionalProperties
```
Previous value: -trueNew value: +{}
```
- changedOutput schema / properties / per_feature / additionalProperties
```
Previous value: -trueNew value: +{}
```
- changedOutput schema / properties / per_quarter / additionalProperties
```
Previous value: -trueNew value: +{}
```
- removedOutput schema / properties / per_year / $ref
```
Removed value: -"#/properties/per_quarter"
```
- addedOutput schema / properties / per_year / additionalProperties
```
Added value: +{}
```
- addedOutput schema / properties / per_year / properties
```
Added value: +{}
```
- addedOutput schema / properties / per_year / type
```
Added value: +"object"
```
- changedOutput schema / properties / plan / anyOf
```
Previous value: -[
-  {
-    "$ref": "#/properties/per_quarter"
-  },
-  {
-    "type": "null"
-  }
-]New value: +[
+  {
+    "additionalProperties": {},
+    "properties": {},
+    "type": "object"
+  },
+  {
+    "type": "null"
+  }
+]
```
- removedOutput schema / properties / projection / items / $ref
```
Removed value: -"#/properties/per_quarter"
```
- addedOutput schema / properties / projection / items / additionalProperties
```
Added value: +{}
```
- addedOutput schema / properties / projection / items / properties
```
Added value: +{}
```
- addedOutput schema / properties / projection / items / type
```
Added value: +"object"
```
First observedNov 5, 2026

TDQS

B3.4/5.0

Behavior3/5

Does the description disclose side effects, auth requirements, rate limits, or destructive behavior?

readOnlyHint=true is consistent with a pure computation, and the description usefully discloses the three time horizons and that lever analysis is gated behind Pro. It does not say the output is a model estimate driven by default assumptions, nor that defaults exist for many inputs (projection_quarters, interdependence_factor, features_per_year) — context the schema only hints at. With annotations carrying the safety profile, this is adequate but not rich.

Agents need to know what a tool does to the world before calling it. Descriptions should go beyond structured annotations to explain consequences.

Conciseness4/5

Is the description appropriately sized, front-loaded, and free of redundancy?

A single front-loaded sentence that packs the cost dimensions, the AI projection, and the Pro lever capability without filler. It is dense but well ordered by time horizon. No wasted wording, though the parenthetical '(Pro)' reads slightly awkwardly mid-clause.

Shorter descriptions cost fewer tokens and are easier for agents to parse. Every sentence should earn its place.

Completeness3/5

Given the tool's complexity, does the description cover enough for an agent to succeed on first attempt?

The tool is a complex 22-parameter model with nested objects, but it ships a fully described schema and an output schema, so return values need not be explained. The description covers scope and Pro gating but omits that results are estimates resting on default assumptions and how this relates to the sibling 'health' tool. Adequate, with clear remaining gaps for a model of this complexity.

Complex tools with many parameters or behaviors need more documentation. Simple tools need less. This dimension scales expectations accordingly.

Parameters3/5

Does the description clarify parameter syntax, constraints, interactions, or defaults beyond what the schema provides?

Schema description coverage is 100%, so every one of the 22 parameters, including nested Pro objects, is already documented in the schema. The description adds only the aggregate notion of 'levers' and Pro gating; it explains no parameter's meaning, units, or defaults beyond what the schema states. Baseline 3 applies when the schema does the heavy lifting.

Input schemas describe structure but not intent. Descriptions should explain non-obvious parameter relationships and valid value ranges.

Purpose4/5

Does the description clearly state what the tool does and how it differs from similar tools?

States a specific verb (Calculate) and the exact quantity produced: software complexity cost per feature, per quarter, per year, plus AI-driven projections and (Pro) levers. An agent can immediately tell this is a cost-modeling calculator rather than a diagnostic. It does not explicitly contrast itself with the sibling 'health' tool, so it stops short of a 5.

Agents choose between tools based on descriptions. A clear purpose with a specific verb and resource helps agents select the right tool.

Usage Guidelines3/5

Does the description explain when to use this tool, when not to, or what alternatives exist?

Usage is only implied by the name and the phrase '(Pro) which levers lower it', which hints at a tiered capability. There is no statement of when to reach for this versus 'health', nor prerequisites such as required inputs or what the model assumes. An agent must infer the selection rule.

Agents often have multiple tools that could apply. Explicit usage guidance like "use X instead of Y when Z" prevents misuse.

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