Founders often assume the answer to an operational problem is "build something". Sometimes it is. Often it is not — and knowing the difference saves a fortune.
Buy when the problem is solved
If thousands of businesses have the exact same need — email, accounting, payroll — buy the tool. You will never out-build a company that does only that, and you should not try.
Build when the problem is yours
The case for custom software is strongest when the process is a genuine source of advantage, or so specific to how you work that no off-the-shelf product fits without bending your business around it. That is where building pays for itself.
Automate when you are in between
Most businesses sit in the middle: the right tools mostly exist, but they do not talk to each other. Before you commission anything bespoke, it is worth asking whether connecting what you already have would solve eighty per cent of the problem for a fraction of the cost.