The Challenge
The build vs buy decision is rarely straightforward. Building gives you control but costs time. Buying saves time but creates dependencies. DecisionGrid helps you evaluate both paths against your specific context — your team's skills, your timeline, your budget, and your long-term strategy.
How DecisionGrid Helps
- Evaluate total cost of ownership, not just upfront cost
- Consider hidden costs like maintenance and training
- Align engineering and business stakeholders
- Document the decision for future reference
Example Scenario
Situation
A fintech startup needs to decide whether to build their own payment processing or use Stripe.
Options Considered
- Build in-house
- Use Stripe
- Hybrid approach
Evaluation Criteria
- Time to market
- Long-term cost
- Control over UX
- Compliance burden
- Team expertise
Outcome
While building in-house scored higher on long-term cost and control, the team's lack of payment expertise and tight deadline made Stripe the clear winner. The hybrid approach was noted for future consideration.