SaaS Strategy
Who Builds It? The $150K Build-vs-Buy-vs-Outsource Decision
The first $150K-500K decision a founder makes is who builds the product: an in-house team, an off-the-shelf stack, or an outsourced partner. This whitepaper gives a decision framework, a transparent total-cost comparison across all three paths, the hidden costs each one hides, and the signals that point to each.
The first expensive decision is who builds it.
Before a line of code, every founder makes a six-figure decision: build with an in-house team, buy an off-the-shelf stack and bend it to fit, or outsource the build to a partner. Each path has a real cost curve, and each hides costs the others do not. This whitepaper makes all three transparent so the choice is made on evidence, not instinct.
What this whitepaper covers
- A decision framework that maps your situation to build, buy, or outsource.
- A transparent total-cost comparison across all three paths, including the costs each one hides.
- The true cost of hiring in-house — it is not just salary: recruiting, ramp, and time-to-first-ship.
- When outsourcing the first 12-18 months, and beyond, is the rational choice.