[feoren]

> they can measure other sorts of productivity

Spoiler: they can't do that either. How do you measure the productivity of a bridge engineer designing a new suspension bridge? Number of struts placed on the blueprint? Even with more manual labor, it's very hard. Who's the most productive out of these three:

1. A carpenter who builds a house from a blueprint in 6 weeks. It collapses after 3 years.

2. A carpenter who builds a house from the same blueprint in 12 weeks. It stays up, but has visible defects that affect its value.

3. A carpenter who builds a house from the same blueprint in 20 weeks. It stays up for over a century and eventually becomes a historical landmark due to its lasting beauty and careful construction.

Which one was more productive?