In economics, the equation for profits is equal to total revenue minus total cost (Prof.=TR-TC). But in the real world consisting of people demonstrating their preferences through their actions, people do not take the time to calculate their profits through derivatives and mathematics. What is valued by people as either a net positive or net negative is purely subjective, that is why the question outside of business decisions, "is it profitable?" is, in my opinion, a lifelong self-discovery.
