Build, partner or buy decision sequence

Build, partner or buy decision sequenceBuild, partner or buy decision sequence: four questions leading to build, license, alliance or acquire1. Are internal resources relevant?Knowledge, skills and organizational fitBuildInternal team, hackathon,incubatorYESNO2. Is the resource tradable?Can a contract define and protect it?Borrow by contractLicense, venture client,serviceYESNO3. Is a bounded collaboration enough?Limited joint work, aligned goalsBorrow by allianceDesign partners,co-developmentYESNO4. Is deep integration needed?And feasible? If not, rethink the planBuyAcquire, orlicense-and-hireYESNORethink the planEach "no" moves one step further from control and one step closer to integration cost.

The build, partner or buy sequence, adapted from Capron and Mitchell's resource pathways. Acquisition is the last question, not the first. In 2026, add two checks at every step: dependency on a model provider, and whether you need the team or only the technology.