In this episode of Build vs. Buy, host Mang-Git is joined by Scott Woody, founder and CEO of Metronome. They discuss the complexities of the build versus buy decision-making process, drawing from Scott's experiences at Dropbox and Metronome. Scott shares insights on prioritizing user needs, internal software development, and the challenges of maintaining custom-built systems (like the time he helped build Dropbox' internal ATS). The conversation also touches on the impact of company culture on innovation and entrepreneurship, as well as Scott's personal journey in balancing professional growth with family life.

00:00: Introduction and Podcast Overview

00:58: Meet Scott Woody: CEO of Metronome

01:36: Scott's Journey: From Dropbox to Metronome

03:58: Imposter Syndrome and Early Career Challenges

06:24: Build vs Buy: A Personal Experience

11:55: Technical Evaluation and Decision Making

21:44: Cultural Impact and Reflections

24:47: Wrapping Up

This episode was brought to you by Anvil [https://useanvil.com].

Sameh El Ansary, Founder and CTO of Treyd.io, joins Mang-Git to discuss challenges and decisions in the build versus buy debate. They explore issues related to global scaling, fintech integrations, and AI adaptation. Sameh shares insights on the importance of in-house, core value components, leveraging third-party APIs, and the impact of generative AI on improving data accuracy. The episode also highlights the development of custom financial tech solutions, compliance with ESG policies, and recommendations for innovative tech products.

00:00 Introduction

01:52 Sameh's Background and Treyd's Mission

06:05 Challenges of Going Global

10:00 Buy vs Build: Real-World Examples

21:32 Cost-Effective Outsourcing Decisions

22:47 Challenges in Invoice Processing

25:15 Building vs. Buying AI Solutions

32:34 Exciting Personal Projects and Product Recommendations

This episode was brought to you by Anvil [https://useanvil.com].

Matan-Paul Shetrit, Director of Product at Writer (www.writer.com), joins Mang-Git to discuss the evolving AI landscape. Matan shares insights from his career in tech, highlighting his time at Flexport, Brex, and A-Team, and delves deep into Writer's offerings including AI Studio, no-code applications, and developer APIs. They explore the build vs. buy dilemma and the real costs and benefits of fine-tuning AI models versus using Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG). Matan also touches on the challenges and opportunities of integrating AI into large enterprises, and the importance of tailoring solutions to both technical and non-technical users.

00:00 Introduction and Guest Welcome

01:43 Guest Background and Experience

04:14 Writer AI's Evolution and Offerings

06:48 Enterprise Solutions and Custom Applications

13:03 Build vs. Buy: Personal Insights

15:06 Challenges and Lessons from Flexport

22:51 Brex and Marqeta: Strategic Decisions

26:21 Navigating Spend Management Tools

26:35 AI Models: Build In-House or Use Vendors?

29:15 The Debate on Fine-Tuning AI Models

32:49 Cost Implications of Training AI Models

36:41 Balancing Simplicity and Usefulness in AI

41:52 Personal and Professional Reflections

45:04 Product Recommendations and Final Thoughts

This episode was brought to you by Anvil [https://useanvil.com].

Jenn Knight, Co-Founder and CTO of AgentSync (www.agentsync.io), joins host Mang-Git to dive into the dynamics of the build vs. buy decision many businesses face. This episode covers the intricacies of building business applications, such as within the Salesforce ecosystem, and explores real-world examples, including the implementation of CPQ solutions at Dropbox. Jenn shares her wealth of experience from working with numerous tech giants and highlights her passion for understanding evolving business needs in the insurance space.

00:00 Introduction 

01:02 Jenn's Background and Career Journey

01:37 Understanding AgentSync and the Insurance Ecosystem

02:52 Salesforce as a Platform for Business Applications

04:08 Building on Salesforce: Challenges and Advantages

06:21 The Build vs. Buy Dilemma

08:19 Real-World Examples and Decision-Making

11:28 Continuous Evaluation and Adaptation

18:23 Digital Transformation in Legacy Industries

23:37 Preparing for the Main Discussion

24:04 Reflecting on Dropbox's Sales Strategy

25:17 Challenges in Configuring Price Quotes

26:07 Building vs. Buying: A Strategic Decision

27:18 The Evolution of Dropbox's CPQ System

35:00 Personal and Professional Excitements

41:12 The Joy of Craftsmanship

44:32 Conclusion and Farewell

This episode was brought to you by Anvil [https://useanvil.com].

0:00 Introduction and Guest Welcome

00:39 Luke Thomas's Background and Role at Zapier

03:23 Exploring Zapier's New Products

03:48 Deep Dive into Zapier's Product Features

08:37 Challenges and Strategies in Build vs. Buy Decisions

15:35 Real-World Example: AI Chatbots Product

21:57 Implementing a Simple Solution

22:15 Navigating Procurement Challenges

22:53 Building a Business Case

23:55 Legal and Compliance Hurdles

25:21 Vendor Collaboration Success

28:20 Insights on Sales and Procurement

35:44 Personalized AI in Education

38:38 Favorite Product Purchase

40:38 Conclusion and Final Thoughts

This episode was brought to you by Anvil [https://useanvil.com].

Chapters

00:00 Introduction and Guest Welcome 

01:15 Shitesh Grover's Professional Journey 

01:37 Understanding Orb's Usage-Based Billing 

03:03 Challenges and Opportunities in Monetization 

06:47 Comparing Orb with Stripe 

12:26 Building vs. Buying: A Deep Dive 

24:34 Evaluating Vendors and Making Decisions 

30:00 Exciting Projects and Personal Insights 

31:56 Conclusion and Farewell

This episode was brought to you by Anvil [https://useanvil.com].

00:00 Introduction and Guest Welcome 

01:24 Vincent Paquet's Background and Dialpad Overview 

03:33 Evolution of Dialpad and AI Integration 

04:26 Build vs. Buy Decision-Making 

12:54 Case Study: Acquiring Talk IQ 

19:08 Impact of AI on User Experience 

22:29 Future of AI and Communication 

36:13 Wrap-Up and Personal Insights

This episode was brought to you by Anvil [https://useanvil.com].

00:00 Introduction to Non-Core Value Proposition 

19:30 The Importance of Buying Dev Tools 

19:49 First Principles and Engineering Constraints 

20:55 Challenges in Building a Company 

22:26 Open Source and Engineering Mindsets 

24:03 Email and Customer Support Systems 

25:08 Build vs. Buy: A Case Study 

26:20 Revenue Generating vs. Margin Increasing Projects 

30:10 Engineering Decisions and Integration Challenges 

33:25 Exciting Projects and Future Work 

35:37 Final Thoughts and Recommendations

This episode was brought to you by Anvil [https://useanvil.com].

In this episode of Build vs. Buy, Cameron Nordholm, Head of Product at Covered Insurance joins Mang-Git to reflect on a pivotal decision he faced at his company regarding whether to build a custom solution or buy off-the-shelf software for embedded analytics. The discussion dives deep into Cameron's journey, highlighting key moments and insights that shaped his decision-making process.

Chapters

00:00 Introduction and Guest Introduction 

00:32 Cameron's Journey in Insurance 

01:18 Covered Insurance: Business Model and Role 

03:16 Embedded Insurance and Innovation 

03:49 Build vs Buy: Setting the Stage 

06:37 Gainfully's Pivot to Enterprise 

10:28 Challenges and Decisions in Build vs Buy 

17:51 Team Alignment and Final Decision 

21:10 The SWOT Analysis Debate 

22:12 The Big Reveal: Build or Buy? 

22:49 Flexibility and Customer Needs 

25:39 Enterprise Focus and Reporting Challenges 

26:49 Reflections on Decision Making 

33:55 Exploring Professional Interests 

35:50 Product Management Evolution 

40:02 The Sonos Experience: Pros and Cons 

42:48 Final Thoughts and Reflections

This episode was brought to you by Anvil [https://useanvil.com].

[Pilot episode]

In this episode of the Build vs. Buy podcast, host Mang-Git talks with Joshua Jensen, co-founder and CEO of Inspectify. Inspectify makes it easier to complete home inspections with their national network of licensed home inspectors and common software / data platform.

Joshua shares his journey in tech and real estate, the evolution of Inspectify, and their decision-making process for building versus buying software solutions. The discussion highlights the importance of capturing structured data and how Inspectify balances internal development with external partnerships to enhance their inspection platform.

Chapters

00:00 Introduction and Welcome 

00:31 Guest Introduction: Joshua Jensen 

02:25 Inspectify: Revolutionizing Property Inspections 

04:27 The Build vs Buy Dilemma 

07:21 Case Study: OCR Implementation at Inspectify 

17:56 Decision Making and Team Dynamics 

21:51 Future Prospects and Exciting Projects 

25:19 Lighthearted Wrap-Up and Recommendations 

28:45 Conclusion and Farewell

This episode was brought to you by Anvil [https://useanvil.com].