If Anthropic's compute is fully saturated then the Claude code power users do represent an opportunity cost to Anthropic much closer to $5,000 then $500.

Anthropic's models may be similar in parameter size to model's on open router, but none of the others are in the headlines nearly as much (especially recently) so the comparison is extremely flawed.

The argument in this article is like comparing the cost of a Rolex to a random brand of mechanical watch based on gear count.

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d1sxeyes 3 hours ago | parent | next [-]

But opportunity cost is not actual cost. “If everyone just kept paying but used our service less we would be more profitable” is true, but not in any meaningful way.

Are Anthropic currently unable to sell subscriptions because they don’t have capacity?

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MaxikCZ an hour ago | parent | next [-]

> Are Anthropic currently unable to sell subscriptions because they don’t have capacity?

Absolutely! Im currently paying $170 to google to use Opus in antigravity without limit in full agent mode, because I tried Anthropic $20 subscription and busted my limit within a single prompt. Im not gonna pay them $200 only to find out I hit the limit after 20 or even 50 prompts.

And after 2 more months my price is going to double to over $300, and I still have no intention of even trying the 20x Max plan, if its really just 20x more prompts than Pro.

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dtech 41 minutes ago | parent [-]

This has a absolutely nothing to do with whether they're limited by available compute...

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MaxikCZ 27 minutes ago | parent [-]

What? Wouldn't they give me more than 1 prompt of compute for my $20, if they had spare?

	▲	esrauch 15 minutes ago \| parent [-]
		I don't think that logically follows. They have a business model and are trying to capture more revenue, fully saturating your computer isn't obviously a good business strategy.

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eru an hour ago | parent | prev [-]

Opportunity costs are real. In many cases they are more real than 'actual costs'. However, I otherwise agree with you.

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Aeolun 3 hours ago | parent | prev | next [-]

Opportunity cost is not the same thing as actual cost. They might have made more money if they were capable of selling the API instead of CC, but I would never tell my company to use CC all the time if I didn’t have a personal subscription.

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eaglelamp 2 hours ago | parent [-]

You’re looking through the wrong end of the telescope. An investor is buying opportunity and it is a real cost to them.

	▲	kaliqt an hour ago \| parent [-]
		Still makes no sense as they’d lose revenue, data, and scale if they don’t subsidize.

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bob1029 2 hours ago | parent | prev | next [-]

> If Anthropic's compute is fully saturated then the Claude code power users do represent an opportunity cost to Anthropic much closer to $5,000 then $500.

I think it's the other way around? Sparse use of GPU farms should be the more expensive thing. Full saturation means that we can exploit batching effects throughout.

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nottorp 31 minutes ago | parent | prev | next [-]

You know who also loves to use the term "opportunity cost"?

The entertainment industry. They still tell you about how much money they're leaving on the table because people pirate stuff.

What would happen in reality for entertainment is people would "consume" far less "content".

And what would happen in reality for Anthropic is people would start asking themselves if the unpredictability is worth the price. Or at best switch to pay as you go and use the API far less.

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KronisLV 2 hours ago | parent | prev | next [-]

Don’t give them any ideas, please! I need my 100 USD subscription with generous Opus usage!

	▲	eru an hour ago \| parent [-]
		Google's Antigravity has Opus access, and I suspect it's subsidised.

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NooneAtAll3 2 hours ago | parent | prev | next [-]

> The argument in this article is like comparing the cost of a Rolex to a random brand of mechanical watch on gear count

I mean... rolex is overpriced brand whose cost to consumers is mainly just marketting in itself. Its production cost is nowhere close to selling price and looking at gears is fair way of evaluating that

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fragmede an hour ago | parent [-]

> production cost is nowhere close to selling price

When has production cost had anything to do with selling price?

	▲	eru an hour ago \| parent [-]
		Not directly. But if production cost is above selling price, you typically tend to get less production. And if production cost is (way) below selling price, that tends to invite competition.

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YetAnotherNick 2 hours ago | parent | prev [-]

You can rent the GPUs and everything needed to run the model. Opportunity cost is not a real cost here.

Only thing that matters is if the users would have paid $5000 if they don't have option to buy subscription. And I highly doubt they would have.