Build vs. Buy

Matt Robben, Co-Founder and CTO at Serif Health, joins Mang-Git to share his career journey, detailing experiences in building complex systems like the EHR at One Medical and his current role as CTO at Serif Health. They dive deep into the complexities and strategic decisions involved in the build versus buy debate, using specific examples from Matt's career. The discussion includes the challenges of building an in-house electronic health record (EHR) system, the importance of focusing on core competencies, and how these decisions impact long-term business strategy.

00:00 Introduction and Guest Welcome

01:59 Matt's Career Journey

04:53 Engineering Leadership Insights

07:08 The Build vs. Buy Dilemma

07:37 One Medical's EHR Decision

12:26 Challenges of Building an EHR System

16:14 Integration and Compliance

23:11 Strategic Decisions and Future Outlook

24:35 Market Share and EHR Systems

25:28 Pivoting to Data Analytics

26:38 Building a Data-Driven Company

28:56 Customer Insights and Product Evolution

31:45 Challenges and Strategies in Health Data

37:03 Reflections on EHR Systems

43:50 Personal Insights and Final Thoughts

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

David Snitkof, SVP of Growth at Ocrolus, joins Mang-Git as they discuss David's extensive background in FinTech, his experience making build vs. buy decisions at Citi, and the evolution of document automation in financial services. The conversation also explores Ocrolus' solutions for various types of lenders and the impact of new AI-driven tools on product development. They wrap up by discussing personal projects, including the use of AI coding assistants like Cursor. 

00:00 Introduction

01:48 David's Career Journey 

04:34 Building and Selling Orchard Platform

10:35 Transition to Ocrolus 

18:58 Build vs Buy Decision at Citi 

29:24 Modern Build vs Buy Considerations 

36:19 Exciting Projects and Personal Interests 

41:12 Conclusion and Farewell

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

Andrew Ho, co-founder and CPO at Last Mile AI, joins Mang-Git to discuss his journey from Microsoft, Airbnb, & Facebook to founding Last Mile AI, the world of product management, especially in AI, and the intricacies of build versus buy. Andrew shares insights on AI labeling, the evolution of technology, and the potential of AI tools to boost productivity for builders. The episode also explores practical examples like the hybrid approach at Airbnb and concludes with a discussion on future trends. 

00:00 Intro

01:39 Andrew's Journey into Product Management 

03:47 The Last Mile AI Problem 

05:54 Challenges in Productionizing ML 

09:48 Build vs Buy: A Deep Dive 

15:19 Case Study: Build vs Buy at Airbnb 

25:58 Challenges of Building and Maintaining PDF Tools 

27:34 Build vs Buy dilemma 

28:05 The Complexity of Labeling Systems 

31:28 Combining Build and Buy Strategies 

32:16 The Cost of SaaS and Long-Term Considerations 

36:04 Vendor Relationships and Custom Solutions 

42:45 Encouraging the Next Generation of Builders 

46:09 Product Recommendations and Personal Experiences 

49:49 Conclusion and Final Thoughts

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

From ride-shares to ATS systems Evan Goldin, co-founder and CEO of Parkade, discusses his career trajectory in the transportation tech sector, including his experiences at Zimride, Lyft, and Chariot. The conversation dives deep into his work at Lyft, specifically focusing on the decision to build an internal ATS for driver onboarding to scale operations efficiently. Evan also reflects on the broader implications of balancing supply and demand, and how innovative solutions like the ATS significantly accelerated Lyft’s growth. 

00:00 Introduction and Guest Welcome 

01:13 Evan's Background and Career Journey 

03:15 The Birth of Parkade 

05:39 Challenges and Solutions in the Ride-Sharing Industry 

09:55 Building an Internal ATS at Lyft 

16:59 The Impact of the Custom ATS on Lyft's Growth 

20:24 Reflections on Build vs. Buy Decisions 

24:59 Lyft's Expansion and Future Directions 

32:44 Conclusion and Fun Questions

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

Mang-Git interviews JJ Tang, co-founder and CEO of Rootly. They discuss Rootly's journey as an incident response management system, frameworks around building vs. buying software, and the challenges of differentiating internal tools from market solutions. JJ shares insights from his career, including his time at IBM and Instacart, and delves into Rootly’s unique approach to managing and learning from incidents. They also touch upon personal experiences, like cycling goals and technological inspirations, and highlight the significance of building strong business fundamentals.

00:00 Introduction and Guest Welcome

01:29 JJ's Background and Journey

03:19 The Birth of Rootly

07:43 Understanding Incidents and Rootly's Unique Approach

14:28 Build vs Buy Decision at Instacart

20:50 Convincing Enterprises to Adopt Rootly

32:09 Personal Insights and Closing Remarks

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

Karen French, SVP of Product at LendKey Technologies, joins Mang-Git to discuss her journey from banking to product management, the complexities of loan products, and the build versus buy decision-making process. Karen shares insights on how LendKey connects borrowers with credit unions, the importance of quick-to-market solutions, and balancing innovation with technology integration. 

00:00 Teaser + Introduction 

01:46 Karen Background and Role at LendKey 

02:36 Understanding LendKey's Digital Platform 

04:01 Karen's Career Journey to Product Management 

08:03 LendKey's Customer and Partner Experience 

16:30 The Build vs. Buy Decision 

27:03 Challenges and Considerations in Building vs. Buying 

45:15 Exciting Projects and Personal Insights 

51:26 Conclusion and Final Thoughts

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

analysis in product development, and how GrowthBook addresses these needs. The conversation also highlights the role of open source in GrowthBook's growth and their innovative product WebLens.ai, which leverages AI for A/B testing suggestions.

00:00 Introductions

01:06 Guest Introduction: Graham McNichol

01:33 The Genesis of GrowthBook

03:45 Challenges in Building AB Testing Platforms

05:10 GrowthBook's Open Source Journey

15:36 The Impact of Open Source on Business

17:15 Open Source Tools and Paid Features

18:33 Community Contributions and SDKs

20:00 Build vs Buy: The Decision Process

22:41 Targeting and Organizational Structure

24:34 Engineering Culture and Product Development

30:16 Reflections on Building In-House Solutions

32:39 Exciting New Developments at GrowthBook

35:17 Fun Question and Final Thoughts

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

This week, Mang-Git hosts content creator and former VP of Product at Apollo.io and Head of Product Growth at Affirm, Aakash Gupta. Aakash shares his journey from operator to content creator on LinkedIn, building a vast follower base, and transitioning to an entrepreneurial role. The episode dives into the build vs. buy decision-making process at Affirm for developing a location-based push notification feature, the importance of accurate data, and considering user experience and frequency challenges to drive product growth effectively.

Chapters

00:00 Introduction and Guest Introduction

02:03 Building a Personal Brand on LinkedIn

04:41 Content Strategy and Marketing Concepts

06:56 Deciding to Go Full-Time as a Content Creator

08:01 LinkedIn's Unique Opportunities for Growth

10:52 Exploring the Build vs. Buy Decision

20:40 Understanding Data Architecture for Location Accuracy

21:40 Challenges in Location-Based Services

23:39 Affirm's Product Evolution and Trade-offs

24:22 Impact of Location-Based Push Notifications

24:59 User Experience and Technical Trade-offs

27:04 Frequency and Timing of Push Notifications

30:07 Managing Credit and Customer Engagement

34:36 Insights on Growth and Saturation

35:48 Current Projects and Professional Insights

38:42 Product Recommendations and Final Thoughts

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

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].