Build Vs. Buy

What this episode covers:
Why build vs. buy keeps coming up

• It shows up in every product org, at every stage

• AI makes building feel easier — but doesn’t eliminate the real tradeoffs

The classic rule of thumb (and its limits)

• If something isn’t core to your value stream, don’t build it

• Even when it is core, vendors may still be better positioned (payments, invoicing, infrastructure)

Teresa’s two contrasting examples

• Why she moved from WordPress to Ghost instead of building her own blog platform

• Why she did build her own task management system — despite plenty of existing tools

The role of data ownership

• When the underlying data becomes the real product

• How task management, notes, and workflows become deeply personal and idiosyncratic

• Why owning and controlling data changes the build vs. buy equation

How AI is changing the decision

• Cheaper prototyping and “vibe coding” lower the cost of building

• Smaller, more targeted tools become viable alternatives to big SaaS platforms

• Pressure on vendors to improve data portability

Vendor lock-in and data portability

• Why exports aren’t always enough

• What to look for when evaluating tools like CRMs or course platforms

• When buying still makes sense — and when it doesn’t

Build vs. buy as a discovery problem

• Treating options as assumptions to test

• Feasibility testing on the build side

• Actually trialing vendors instead of trusting marketing claims

A caution on complexity

• Why “we can build anything” isn’t the same as “we should build this”

• How long-lived products accumulate hidden complexity over time

• Being honest about engineering capabilities and maintenance costs

Key takeaways

• Build vs. buy isn’t just about speed or cost — it’s about core value, data ownership, and long-term responsibility

• AI lowers the barrier to building, but doesn’t erase complexity

• Treat build vs. buy decisions like any other discovery effort: test assumptions, prototype, and validate before committing

• Ask not just can we build it, but should we own it?

Resources & Links:

• Follow Teresa Torres: ProductTalk.org

• Follow Petra Wille: Petra-Wille.com

Mentioned in this episode:

• Wordpress (wordpress.org)

• Ghost (ghost.org)

• Vibe code (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vibe_coding)

• Claude Code (claude.ai/code)

• Obsidian (obsidian.md)

• Stripe (stripe.com)

• Teachable (teachable.com)

• Melissa Perri (melissaperri.com) and her Product Institute (productinstitute.com)

• Trello (trello.com)

• Evernote (evernote.com)

• OmniFocus (omnigroup.com/omnifocus)

• Dropbox (dropbox.com)

• OpenAI (openai.com)

• Salesforce (salesforce.com/ap)

• HubSpot (hubspot.com)

• DocuSign (docusign.com)