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27 frameworks: Build versus buy

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Why This Matters

This article highlights the importance of strategic decision-making in building versus buying capabilities, emphasizing that companies must carefully evaluate cost, expertise, time, and ownership to align with their goals. It provides valuable insights from industry leaders on when to develop in-house solutions or outsource, helping organizations make informed choices. Making the right decision can significantly impact a company's agility, innovation, and competitive edge in the tech industry.

Key Takeaways

Cost, expertise, time, and ownership are all variables to consider. Building versus buying capabilities in-house or deciding whether to outsource them is a strategic decision. And it’s not a decision all executives think about the same way. So much depends on your company’s goals and strengths. It’s important to have a structured way to think about this decision, though, so when you need to incorporate a capability, you know how to make the decision. We asked our Fast Company Impact Council members how they decide when to build capabilities in-house versus outsourcing or partnering. It was a popular question, and we had to limit the responses—to just 27! There is wisdom in these words that you can apply to your situations.