# Build Vs Buy

> Provides a rigorous, repeatable framework to decide whether a team should build a solution internally or purchase an external product. Use when evaluating a new capability, considering a SaaS tool or vendor, or when someone asks "should we just build this?" Covers time to value, TCO, strategic differentiation, control and risk, and opportunity cost.

- **Type:** Skill
- **Install:** `agentstack add skill-pratikshadake-claude-solo-founder-skills-build-vs-buy`
- **Verified:** Yes — security-reviewed for prompt injection and unsafe behavior
- **Seller:** [pratikshadake](https://agentstack.voostack.com/s/pratikshadake)
- **Installs:** 0
- **Category:** [Agent Skills](https://agentstack.voostack.com/c/agent-skills)
- **Latest version:** 0.1.0
- **License:** MIT
- **Upstream author:** [pratikshadake](https://github.com/pratikshadake)
- **Source:** https://github.com/pratikshadake/claude-solo-founder-skills/tree/main/skills/build-vs-buy

## Install

```sh
agentstack add skill-pratikshadake-claude-solo-founder-skills-build-vs-buy
```

Requires the [AgentStack CLI](https://agentstack.voostack.com/docs/cli). Works with Claude Code, Cursor, and any MCP-compatible agent.

## About

# Skill: Build vs Buy Decision Engine

## Purpose
Provide a rigorous, repeatable framework to decide whether a team
should build a solution internally or purchase an external product.

This skill prioritizes:
- speed to value
- long-term strategic leverage
- total cost of ownership
- engineering focus

---

## When to Use
Activate when:

- A new capability is required.
- A SaaS/tool/vendor is being considered.
- Engineers propose building internally.
- Leadership asks: "Should we just build this?"

---

## Required Inputs
If missing, ask the user:

- Problem to solve
- Timeline pressure
- Budget range
- Strategic importance
- Internal engineering capacity

---

## Decision Framework

### 1. Time to Value
Compare:

- Build delivery timeline
- Vendor onboarding time

Flag **high risk** if build time > 2× buy time.

---

### 2. Total Cost of Ownership (TCO)

Include:

- Engineering build time
- Maintenance burden
- Infra costs
- Vendor pricing
- Switching costs

Project over **24 months**.

---

### 3. Strategic Differentiation

Classify the capability:

- Core advantage → lean BUILD
- Commodity → lean BUY
- Experimental → lean BUY fast

---

### 4. Control & Risk

Evaluate:

- Data sensitivity
- Vendor lock-in
- Reliability requirements
- Compliance constraints

---

### 5. Opportunity Cost

Ask:

> What higher-leverage work will NOT happen if we build this?

This is a **critical deciding factor**.

---

## Scoring Model

Produce:

- Build Score (0–10)
- Buy Score (0–10)

Explain each score briefly.

---

## Final Recommendation Rules

- Score difference ≥ 3 → choose higher
- Difference  Advice from a seasoned CTO or startup founder  
> not a generic AI summary.

## Source & license

This open-source skill is cataloged on AgentStack and links to its original source — we do not rehost the code.

- **Author:** [pratikshadake](https://github.com/pratikshadake)
- **Source:** [pratikshadake/claude-solo-founder-skills](https://github.com/pratikshadake/claude-solo-founder-skills)
- **License:** MIT

Install and usage instructions live in the source repository linked above.

## Pricing

- **Free** — Free

## Security capabilities

Automated source analysis of v0.1.0 — what this tool can access:

- **Network access:** no
- **Filesystem access:** no
- **Shell / process execution:** no
- **Environment & secrets:** no
- **Dynamic code execution:** no

*"Yes" means the capability is present in the source — more access means more to trust, not that it is unsafe.*


## Versions

- **0.1.0** — security scan: passed — Imported from the upstream source.

## Links

- Listing page: https://agentstack.voostack.com/l/skill-pratikshadake-claude-solo-founder-skills-build-vs-buy
- Seller: https://agentstack.voostack.com/s/pratikshadake
- Browse the marketplace: https://agentstack.voostack.com/browse

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Listed on AgentStack — the marketplace for AI agent skills and MCP servers. Every listing is security-reviewed. Creators keep 70%.