Scale by Subtraction

The cost of complexity has been invisible.
The Sync Tax makes it measurable.

Coupling and coordination overhead cost your team real money. One API call returns a multiplier and a dollar figure. Free key in seconds.

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Sync Tax Score
2.7x
multiplier
Waste per feature68 hrs
Annual cost$408k

The theory behind the calculator

This calculator uses the Sync Tax formula to quantify how coupling and coordination overhead inflate delivery cost. It is built on theories from Scale by Subtraction, David Vartanian's book on scaling organizations by removing complexity.

Learn more about Scale by Subtraction →

Why measure sync tax?

📊

One score

A single multiplier that captures how coordination overhead and coupling impact your delivery velocity.

🔌

Simple API

Send your team data via REST. Get back a sync tax score with optional cost projections. Use it anywhere.

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AI-ready

Supports MCP. Connect Claude, Cursor, or any agent directly to your data pipeline.

Pricing

Free

$0/mo
For individual exploration
  • 100 requests per day
  • Full API access
Get Started

Pro

$29/mo
For teams and integration
  • 10,000 requests per day
  • Full API access
  • Priority support
Subscribe

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