> when was the _last_ time you launched a startup? 6 years ago. After that, I was an early (< 10 headcount) engineering hire at a couple companies. > all but

> when was the _last_ time you launched a startup? 6 years ago. After that, I was an early (< 10 headcount) engineering hire at a couple companies. > all but guaranteed to grow in cost in lock step with the size of your wallet? Check your premises. My general understanding - again, mainframes are not my area - is that IBM almost guarantees falling per-transaction costs over time with Z. > a technology stack alien to most everybody Let IBM maintain the mainframe and let your engineers build on top with whatever tech stack or platform they are comfortable with. IBM invented virtualization in the 60s. And there are quite a few more mainframe engineers out there than you might think.