Manny's Reflections - Dollars Per Action and the Math Nobody Wants to Do

In this solo “Manny’s Reflections” episode of the Get Paid podcast, host Manny Medina dives into one of the most consequential shifts in the AI market right now: the reversal from tokenmaxxing to rigorous cost optimization. He also spotlights a LinkedIn post from Shriram Sridharan, CTO and Co-Founder of Rox, who shared a framework around measuring Dollars Per Action (DOPA) and demonstrated a 10x reduction in token spend even while scaling usage. ● The great reversal from tokenmaxxing to “what am I actually getting for this AI spend” ● Shriram Sridharan's Dollars Per Action framework and why it didn't get the attention it deserved ● Dollars per token vs. tokens per action, and why only one lever is actually moving ● Foundation models with too much tenacity and the token burn nobody asked for ● The momentary respite from open source models and why it won't last ● Data center permitting backlash, aging grids, and the Texas governor saying no more ● NVIDIA chips aren't getting cheaper, and the five-year memory shortage nobody's talking about ● Coinbase's thinking-first routing model and Brian Armstrong's post are worth reading twice ● AI at 1% enterprise penetration, and the cost curve that's about to get ugly again ● Why value and cost should never live in the same conversation with your customer