a structured analysis of whether to build or buy AI capabilities — with cost models and a clear recommendation.
you're deciding whether to build AI capabilities in-house or buy from vendors. it's a high-stakes call — build when you should've bought and you burn engineering months. buy when you should've built and you're locked into a vendor that doesn't fit.
most teams make this decision based on vibes, vendor demos, or whoever talks loudest in the room. you need a framework — cost models, risk analysis, and a recommendation grounded in your actual constraints.
a build vs buy recommendation brief covering:
week 1 — discovery: i interview key stakeholders and your engineering team to understand the capabilities you need, your current stack, team capacity, and constraints. i also evaluate the vendor options in your space.
week 2 — analysis: i build the cost models, map the decision framework, evaluate vendors, and draft the recommendation brief. you get a draft to review before the workshop.
week 3 — workshop session (3 hours): we walk through the analysis with your leadership and engineering leads. pressure-test the assumptions, debate the hard calls, and align on a path forward.
$10,000 — includes stakeholder interviews, cost modeling, vendor evaluation, workshop facilitation, and the final recommendation brief.
typical timeline: 3 weeks from kickoff to final deliverable.
assess: ai architecture audit · genai initiative prioritization
build: idea-to-pilot sprint · mcp server build sprint · pilot-to-production sprint
harden: ai governance layer setup
book an intro call — 45 minutes, no cost. we'll talk through the decision you're facing and whether this analysis is the right next step.