During the first "Charting the Northwest Passage" meeting, the host discussed the importance of "napkin math" for quickly assessing the feasibility of a project. He shared a story about a potential client who needed a million utility poles inspected by UAV, but was only offering $5 per pole, which was far below a realistic rate. The host demonstrated how to do some quick calculations to determine the offer was not feasible, stressing that it's vital to know if a potential job is "even in the baseball stadium" before investing time in a detailed proposal. The host also emphasized the need to identify critical assumptions when doing this type of calculation. He also discussed how he has become more selective about the proposals he creates.

The host also presented a second example involving a client who wanted a land survey for a 9-mile route in Nevada, with a budget of $80,000, far below the estimated cost of around $200,000. This example highlighted how quickly costs can increase when considering all the factors involved in a complex project. The host emphasized that being able to do "order of magnitude" estimations is crucial for avoiding contracts with unrealistic budgets. The meeting was interactive, with participants sharing their own experiences.