Time Leakage
What does the two-factor fumble cost over 20 years?
The Two-Factor Fumble
3 minutes, 960 times/year, 20 years — the long-term cost is 960 hours.
How the number's built.
The authentication fumble feels like a small interruption. At 3 minutes across 960 occurrences a year, it becomes 960 hours over 20 years.
If you changed one thing
Half the pattern stays.
480 hours return.
No rush. It keeps until you want it.
A way through
cutting the pattern in half
24.0 hours/year returned
× 20 years = 480 hours returned
The Math
3 minutes / occurrence
960 occurrences / year = 48.0 hours/year
× 20 years = 960 hours
Assumptions
- Each occurrence lasts 3 minutes.
- 960 occurrences happen each year.
- Timeline spans 20 years.
- The calculation counts calendar time, not whether the time was useful.
The arithmetic of two-factor fumble
Last reviewed: May 2026.
An estimate built for reflection — not financial, medical, or legal advice. The figures follow the assumptions above.