BBP Decision Framework — Build vs Buy vs Partner

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Core Question: When you need a new capability, which path creates the most value at the lowest total cost?

Build

Choose when

You need differentiation. This capability is core to your competitive advantage and off-the-shelf won't cut it.

Existing solutions don't fit your specific use case

The capability is your unfair advantage

You have the resources and runway

Long-term ownership matters more than speed

B
Buy
Choose when
The problem is solved. Someone built it well, it's proven, and your time is worth more than reinventing it.
Commodity capability, not differentiating
Speed to deployment matters
Vendor solution is better than you'd build
Maintenance burden would distract your team

Partner

Choose when

Someone else has the capability and complementary incentives. You can compound each other's strengths without building or buying.

Access beats ownership for this capability

Partner has domain expertise you'd take years to build

Aligned incentives make collaboration natural

Revenue or value can be shared fairly

First ask

Is this capability core to our differentiation?

Then ask

Does a proven solution already exist?

Finally ask

Who already has this and shares our incentives?

Default rule

Buy or partner before you build

Mike Goetz · RageDesigner · Framework Architect

whereframeworks.com

The decision most teams skip entirely

BBP forces a conversation that most teams avoid: should we actually build this, or is there a faster path to the same capability? The default instinct for engineering teams is to build. The default instinct for business teams is to buy. Neither instinct is wrong, but neither should be the default without analysis.

The "Partner" column is the one most frameworks miss entirely. Partnerships create capability without the capital cost of building or the recurring cost of buying. But they require something harder to find: aligned incentives and mutual trust. When they work, they compound. When they don't, they create dependencies worse than vendor lock-in.

The decision flow at the bottom is the real framework. Three questions in sequence, each one narrowing the path. If you can't answer the first question clearly, you're not ready to make the decision yet.