For me personally, I don't think it's hard to quantify at all. I'm absolutely terrible at being productive on my own, just having somebody to talk to that's working near me increases my productivity twofold.
Still, the price is really high. I certainly wouldn't be able to afford it if I was trying to bootstrap a new business.
The other one he talks about that I think deserves highlighting is the "last house on the block" problem, where a lot of other successful addicts have turned to food as a more "acceptable" vice, and then struggle immensely to defeat it when they realise it's the last one left.
I know I certainly struggle with that fact. I had serious problems with both weed and benzodiazepines, and while I certainly wasn't skinny while I was on them, my weight only really started to spiral uncontrollably once I successfully kicked them.
I agree completely with this article by the way. While quitting weed was mentally exhausting, and quitting benzos was physically painful, food is the only one out of the three that I haven't been successful with so far. I think that says a lot.
Still, the price is really high. I certainly wouldn't be able to afford it if I was trying to bootstrap a new business.