Product

Why 'Build vs. Buy' Isn’t the Right Question Anymore

For decades, tech leaders have faced the classic architectural dilemma: build vs. buy. Should you invest internal resources to develop a solution from scratch, or purchase an off-the-shelf product that solves the problem today?

This used to be a strategic fork in the road. But the reality of modern enterprise architecture and product development is far more nuanced. The binary framing of “build vs. buy” is increasingly obsolete. Today, the more useful question is:

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Building Cross-Functional Pods that Actually Work

Cross-functional pods are meant to increase autonomy and speed—but often, they cause misalignment and thrash. Why?

Because structure matters.

Here’s how to get it right:

• Keep pods stable. Rotate slowly and intentionally.
• Give them a mission, not just a backlog. Purpose drives better prioritization.
• Staff for success. Include the right mix: product, design, QA, engineering—and don’t forget a clear tech lead.

Pods should be small enough to move fast, but big enough to own the problem—not just the solution.

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