The comment backlash against this anecdote is a little odd to me. No, it's not a perfect analogy. No, the cost comparison is neither fair nor complete nor comprehensive.

But it is an interesting connection to make, and there are interesting ideas that the comparison generates, so let's treat it like a parable rather than a critical business analysis.

If anything, one of the most striking comparisons is how work was done in a government-funded research lab versus how it is done in a startup. Own vs rent, meticulous simulation vs rapidly-iterated prototyping, waterfall vs agile, regulation vs free for all.

The superficial details of the story aren't actually that important, but there's a lot of meat to dig into.