Build vs Buy vs Partner
8 questions about differentiation, expertise, timeline, and budget. A recommendation: build in-house, buy off the shelf, or bring in a partner — including when the honest answer is "buy it."
This assessment scores whether an AI capability should be built in-house, bought off the shelf, or built with a specialist partner, based on differentiation, in-house expertise, timeline, budget, and four other factors.
Strategic Differentiation
Is this capability core to your competitive advantage?
How it works
Answer 8 questions
Covering strategic differentiation, in-house expertise, timeline, budget, customization needs, data sensitivity, ownership, and vendor maturity.
Each answer points a direction
Higher points push toward building in-house; lower points push toward buying off the shelf.
Get a 0-100 build-fit score
Points are summed and normalized to a 0-100 scale.
See your recommendation
Your score maps to Build In-House, Partner to Build It, or Buy Off the Shelf, with the reasoning behind it.
When should I use this?
- You're deciding whether to hire and build a capability in-house or buy a vendor product.
- A capability is core enough to matter but you're not sure you have the team to build it alone.
- Budget or timeline pressure is pushing a decision before the tradeoffs are clear.
Who is this for?
- Founders and CTOs making a build-or-buy call on an AI capability.
- Product leads scoping a new AI feature.
- Engineering leads deciding whether to bring in outside help.
Common Questions