Stage 1 · Lesson 3 of 7
Build versus buy
asks a simple question. Do you write a capability yourself, run software that you operate, or pay for a managed product? Decide on the total cost over several years, not the first .
Building means maintenance, upgrades, on-call duty and keeping engineers who understand it. Buying means licence fees, integration work, limits you cannot change, and the risk that the vendor raises prices or shuts down. A useful rule: build what makes your product different, and buy what does not, such as , email delivery or .
Write down your reasoning, because the question comes back when the contract renews or the team changes.
Common trapcomparing a vendor's annual price with only the first estimate for building it.
A question to check yourself, an AI practice session and 1 cheat sheet entry come with the full roadmap. Unlock
Resources for this stage
Start with· follow one of these
- CoursePaidSystem Design Patterns: From Fundamentals to Real Systems
Design Gurus · Intermediate · Subscription
The distributed patterns behind most designs, to judge proposals from other teams
- GuideFreeMartin Fowler's Website
Martin Fowler · Intermediate
Free, clear writing on architecture styles, microservices and evolving designs