The hidden cost of your stack
What your stack really costs you.
Beyond the subscriptions. The math no one runs: friction, procurement, migrations, absorbed margin. And how one platform changes the economics of a firm.
Summary for a 5-person firm
~140k €
real annual cost (visible + hidden)
~80%
of the cost never appears on an invoice
12
placement margins absorbed per year
Average estimate, adjust to your stack and business. Calculator available.
01 · The visible cost
The subscriptions you pay every month.
ATS, CRM, LinkedIn Recruiter, Outreach, AI Notes, multi-posting, invoicing. For a 5-person firm, that's around €2,200 ex VAT per month, ~€26k per year. The visible part of the iceberg.
This share is unavoidable while the stack is fragmented. But it represents only ~20% of the real cost of tooling your firm.
Average visible cost
~€26k
per year, for 5 people
With Marvin
A single Marvin Suite license at €149/u/month replaces most of this line.
02 · Hidden cost — friction
Time lost switching between tools.
A firm consultant switches on average 5 times per hour between tools. Copy a LinkedIn profile to the ATS, export a CV to share, re-enter a client comment. Count 5 h/week/person in pure friction.
At €80/hour (loaded), that's ~€94k per year for a 5-person firm. This cost appears on no invoice — but it weighs on net margin.
Friction cost
~€94k
per year, 5 h/wk × 5 people × 47 wks × €80
With Marvin
One platform. No switching, no re-entry. Time recovered is measurable.
03 · Hidden cost — procurement
Time picking and renewing your tools.
Picking an ATS, comparing 5 outreach tools, negotiating a LinkedIn renewal, briefing a team — a firm leader spends ~150 h/year on it. Invisible, but full days not sold to clients.
Add the opportunity cost: the firm doesn't place during that time. Across the year, procurement easily totals €12k of absorbed leader time.
Procurement cost
~€12k
per year, in leader time
With Marvin
One decision, one platform. Procurement becomes a non-question.
04 · Hidden cost — migrations
Tool changes every 18 months.
A firm changes one tool on average every 18 months — an ATS that no longer fits, a CRM that pivots pricing, an outreach that shuts down. Each migration is 1-2 months of reduced productivity for 5 people.
Count €8k/year in migrations smoothed over time. Plus frustration, data loss risk, impact on ongoing clients.
Migration cost
~€8k
per year, smoothed over 18 months
With Marvin
A platform that evolves every week. No migration to fear.
05 · The total
In total, ~€140k per year absorbed by your stack.
Adding visible and hidden, a 5-person firm absorbs ~€140k per year in tooling. At €12k of gross margin per placement, that's 12 placement margins — one placement per month.
That's what centralization makes possible: recover a significant share of that margin, without changing anything in your commercial activity.
Margin absorbed per year
12
placement margins per year, on average
With Marvin
Marvin Suite at €149/u/month for 5 people = ~€9k/year. Difference: ~€130k that stay in your firm.
Centralizing is not a comfort. It is a financial decision.
One unified platform changes the nature of the cost: one license to price, one tool to learn, zero friction to endure. The math is explicit, the ROI is 12 months, and the recovered margin feeds your growth directly.