If you’re looking for a rational, financial reason to have kids, you won’t find one here. I’ve looked. I teach strategy and economics. I live in a world obsessed with optimization. And by all those measures, having children is just… a cost.

But I did it anyway. Twice.

This episode is about the truth no one wants to say out loud: there’s no economic model that justifies raising kids. It’s time-consuming, expensive, and pulls you away from work you love. And yet, somehow, it’s also the most meaningful decision I’ve ever made.

I talk about the tension between ambition and family, love and logic, joy and sacrifice. I challenge the financial frameworks we use to define “value” in life—and why they break down the moment you try to price love, time, or legacy.

This isn’t an argument for parenthood. It’s an invitation to rethink what matters.

If you’ve ever wondered why you’re doing something that doesn’t make sense on paper—but feels right in your soul—this one’s for you.

Take care. And let yourself choose joy, even when it looks like a loss.