All Things Product with Teresa and Petra

Build Vs. Buy

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What this episode covers:

Why build vs. buy keeps coming up

  • It shows up in every product org, at every stage
  • AI makes building feel easier — but doesn’t eliminate the real tradeoffs

    • The classic rule of thumb (and its limits)

    • If something isn’t core to your value stream, don’t build it
    • Even when it is core, vendors may still be better positioned (payments, invoicing, infrastructure)

      • Teresa’s two contrasting examples

      • Why she moved from WordPress to Ghost instead of building her own blog platform
      • Why she did build her own task management system — despite plenty of existing tools

        • The role of data ownership

        • When the underlying data becomes the real product
        • How task management, notes, and workflows become deeply personal and idiosyncratic
        • Why owning and controlling data changes the build vs. buy equation

          • How AI is changing the decision

          • Cheaper prototyping and “vibe coding” lower the cost of building
          • Smaller, more targeted tools become viable alternatives to big SaaS platforms
          • Pressure on vendors to improve data portability

            • Vendor lock-in and data portability

            • Why exports aren’t always enough
            • What to look for when evaluating tools like CRMs or course platforms
            • When buying still makes sense — and when it doesn’t

              • Build vs. buy as a discovery problem

              • Treating options as assumptions to test
              • Feasibility testing on the build side
              • Actually trialing vendors instead of trusting marketing claims

                • A caution on complexity

                • Why “we can build anything” isn’t the same as “we should build this”
                • How long-lived products accumulate hidden complexity over time
                • Being honest about engineering capabilities and maintenance costs

                  • Key takeaways

                  • Build vs. buy isn’t just about speed or cost — it’s about core value, data ownership, and long-term responsibility
                  • AI lowers the barrier to building, but doesn’t erase complexity
                  • Treat build vs. buy decisions like any other discovery effort: test assumptions, prototype, and validate before committing
                  • Ask not just can we build it, but should we own it?

                    • Resources & Links:

                    • Follow Teresa Torres: https://ProductTalk.org
                    • Follow Petra Wille: https://Petra-Wille.com

                      • Mentioned in this episode:

                      • Wordpress
                      • Ghost
                      • Vibe code
                      • Claude Code
                      • Obsidian
                      • Stripe
                      • Teachable
                      • Melissa Perri and her Product Institute
                      • Trello
                      • Evernote
                      • OmniFocus
                      • Dropbox
                      • OpenAI
                      • Salesforce
                      • HubSpot
                      • DocuSign
                        • ...more
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                        All Things Product with Teresa and PetraBy Petra Wille & Teresa Torres