The question that never goes away
Every organization faces it: should we build this ourselves, buy an off-the-shelf solution, or partner with someone who already has one? The answer changes with every decision, but the framework for deciding does not.
When to build
Build when the capability is a core differentiator — when how it works is part of why customers choose you. Building is expensive, slow, and risky. It is worth it when the thing you are building is the thing you are selling.
When to buy
Buy when the capability is commodity infrastructure. Email, accounting, CRM, identity — these are solved problems. Buying them lets you focus your scarce engineering resources on what makes you different.
When to partner
Partner when the capability is important but not core, and when a specialist can do it better than you could for less than it would cost to build. Partnership gives you capability without the fixed cost of ownership.
The decision criteria
- Strategic value — is this something that differentiates us?
- Total cost of ownership — build cost is not just the initial development; it is the ongoing maintenance, staffing, and evolution.
- Time to value — how soon do you need this working?
- Risk tolerance — can you afford to get it wrong and iterate?
The principle
The best organizations do not default to one answer. They build where they must, buy where they can, and partner where it makes sense. The discipline is in making the decision deliberately, not by inertia.
Knowing better means knowing what is yours to own and what is not.