Build, buy, or use open source? All your answers in one chart
summary
Provides a one‑chart decision method: start by verbalizing the problem, classify it by complexity and how specific it is to the business, then weigh time, total cost of ownership and risk (impact × probability). Recommends build when it is core to the business and you can sustain ongoing expertise, buy for complex generic needs, and use open source for simple generic tooling — with the concrete caution that Jenkins required two engineers at ~50% time to operate, so OSS is often not free and hides the corner of ignorance.
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chapters (11)
- 0:00The build vs buy framework
- 2:25Verbalizing the problem
- 6:10Analyzing problem nature
- 6:50Context and complexity
- 10:35Applying the mental model
- 15:57Timing and urgency
- 21:11The cost of ownership
- 24:08Refining the decision table
- 33:07Managing software risk
- 37:09Expertise and opportunity
- 43:52The final decision chart
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