YAGNI refers to _average_ ROI (as well as time to market, reduced complexity/bugs, 2/3 of features never being needed).
If you want to argue that ROI might not hold true in your particular case, you not only need a time machine, but even worse if you view your work in the context of an ongoing program, you have a halting problem to contend with.
Now as a business owner commissioning software, a) potentially shaving a few dimes is much more expensive to me than not having knowable sums going in and out over the next quarter and b) I may take a financial view that is alarmingly short term to many engineers :)
If you want to argue that ROI might not hold true in your particular case, you not only need a time machine, but even worse if you view your work in the context of an ongoing program, you have a halting problem to contend with.
Now as a business owner commissioning software, a) potentially shaving a few dimes is much more expensive to me than not having knowable sums going in and out over the next quarter and b) I may take a financial view that is alarmingly short term to many engineers :)