# Build, partner or buy analysis · [Capability] · [Date] **Owner:** [PM] **Reviewers:** [engineering, finance, corporate development, security] ## Capability needed and why [What the strategy requires, by when, and the cost of not having it.] ## The four questions | Question | Answer | Evidence | |---|---|---| | 1. Are internal resources relevant (knowledge, skills, organizational fit)? | | | | 2. Is the resource tradable (can a contract define and protect it)? | | | | 3. Is a bounded collaboration enough (limited joint work, aligned goals)? | | | | 4. Is deep integration needed, and is it feasible? | | | ## Options compared | | Build | Partner (contract or alliance) | Buy (company, team or technology) | |---|---|---|---| | Time to capability | | | | | Cost (one-time and ongoing) | | | | | Control | | | | | Effect on gross margin | | | | | Switching cost later | | | | | Effect on customers | | | | | Talent risk | | | | | Regulatory exposure | | | | ## AI-era checks - Model-provider dependency: [which provider, terms, switching cost, what they can see] - Exclusivity or limits on other partners: [terms] - Portability: [abstraction layer, model-agnostic evals] - Team or technology only? [answer] ## Our default path and the trap [Which path this company usually takes, and whether this analysis is just repeating it.] ## Recommendation [Path, scope, and the conditions that would trigger the next path.] **Review date:** [date]