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“Most businesses should build 10-20% of their stack and buy the rest. Build what differentiates you. Buy the commodity functions. Review the split annually. What you bought last year might need building this year.”
On the build vs buy technology decision
Nick Hugh
Founder, AI Expert & Fractional CTO, Marshall Tech
Nick Hugh, AI Expert & Fractional CTO at Marshall Tech, Sydney
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Build when the capability is your competitive advantage, when no off-the-shelf solution fits your workflow, or when platform lock-in is an unacceptable risk. Buy when the function is commodity (accounting, email, project management), when time-to-value matters more than customisation, or when the vendor's R&D investment exceeds what you'd spend building. Most businesses should build 10–20% of their stack and buy the rest.
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