Build or buy? A founder's guide to custom software

When off-the-shelf is enough, when custom pays off, and how to scope a first release that ships on time.

Custom software is a competitive advantage when it encodes something your competitors cannot copy. Everywhere else, buying is faster and cheaper.

Buy when

• The process is standard across your industry.
• Speed to launch matters more than differentiation.
• A product already covers 80% of what you need.

Build when

• The workflow is your edge.
• You need to integrate systems no product connects.
• You plan to sell the software itself.

Scope a first release that ships

Write down the one job the first version must do end to end. Cut everything else to version two. A small product in users' hands teaches more than a large one in a backlog.

Key takeaways

Buy the standard, build the differentiator, and ship a small first version quickly — then let real users tell you what to build next.