In order not to be sad after a difficult and long automation that will never pay off, we have compiled an automation payback calculator.

Available via the link: https://app.incidenta.tech/tool/calculator-automation/

You can specify how often you do the routine, how much it takes, and the calculator will tell you whether it is profitable to automate or not.

It was like this: we started with a long-standing meme from xkcd about "how much time does it take to get into a routine in 5 years" and thought about it... We realized that a payback calculator wouldn't hurt. After all, it is necessary to automate when:

1. Do you regularly/frequently perform the same type of task?
2. Every time this task takes time (even if it takes a minute)
3. Do you understand how you can automate at least part of this task?
4. Dependence on a person's fickleness can be harmful
5. There is a willingness to maintain your automation, not a routine :)

I spent a month automating and speeding up the release. Now the release takes 30 seconds instead of 5 minutes. It will pay off through... 2 years 😭Sad DevOps in the smoking room.