The buy-vs-build decision for AI features. Buy when a competent vendor already solves it and the workflow is generic. Build when the feature is a differentiator, when data-locality matters, or when vendor pricing does not scale to your volume.
- 01State the four tests for build.
- 02State the four tests for buy.
- 03Recognize hybrid solutions.
Build if
1. The feature is your differentiator. 2. Data cannot leave your network. 3. Your volume makes vendor pricing untenable. 4. No vendor's roadmap matches what you need in the timeframe. Any one of these can justify building; combining them makes the decision clear.
Buy if
1. The problem is generic (transcription, translation, summarization). 2. A credible vendor already ships production quality. 3. Your team lacks the specific expertise. 4. Total cost of ownership (people + infra + opportunity) favors it. Buying with a plan to migrate is a common intermediate strategy.
- Build differentiators; buy commodities.
- Hybrid — buy the platform, build the workflow — is often correct.