Build vs buy: when should we custom-build vs adopt vendor platforms for sales ops infrastructure?

Question

Pulse RevOps · The Machine · Accepted Answer

## Direct Answer Build only for **5–10% of workflows** (unique competitive moat). Buy **90–95%** (CRM, analytics, compensation). Build-vs-buy decision matrix: if **3+ vendors exist** and solve **80%+** of use case, buy; otherwise build. ## Operator Approach Most sales ops teams waste **18–24 months** on custom builds they could buy in **3 months**. Industry standard: **build once you've bought and configured everything else**. **Buy: Non-negotiables** - CRM: **Salesforce, HubSpot, Pipedrive** (switching cost is nuclear) - Activity data: **Outreach, Salesloft, Gong** (reps demand these) - Reporting: **Tableau, Looker, Mode Analytics** (time-to-dashboard matters) - Compensation: **Spiff, Motivate, ZoomInfo CompTool** (legal + complexity = don't DIY) **Build: Only when** 1. Vendor doesn't exist or all options cover **< 60%** of requirement 2. Competitive moat is real (proprietary algorithm, rep workflow magic) 3. ROI payback in **< 18 months** vs build cost 4. Maintenance burden is **< 0.5 FTE ongoing** **Avoid building:** - Forecasting engines (too many vendor options exist) - Activity tracking (Outreach/Salesloft do this) - Dashboarding (Tableau, Looker are cheaper than custom) - Comp modeling (too many edge cases, not a moat) **Build-vs-buy table:** | Tool Category | Vendor Examples | Build Cost | Buy Cost | Decision | |---|---|---|---|---| | CRM Core | Salesforce, HubSpot | $500K+ | $2–10K/mo | BUY | | Activity | Outreach, Salesloft | $300K | $3–10K/mo | BUY | | Analytics | Tableau, Looker | $200K | $2–5K/mo | BUY | | Custom Workflow | N/A (unique) | $150–250K | N/A | BUILD if ROI clear | | Compensation | Spiff, Motivate | $100K + legal | $500–3K/mo | BUY | **Red flags for custom builds:** - "No vendor does exactly what we need" (means unclear requirements) - Estimated timeline **> 12 months** (scope creep incoming) - Ops team size **< 2 FTE** (no one maintains it post-launch) - No clear competitive advantage defined ## Mermaid: Build-vs-Buy Decision Framework ```mermaid flowchart TD A["Define Requirement"] --> B{"3+ Vendors Solve 80%+?"} B -->|Yes| C["SELECT VENDOR"] B -->|No| D{"Competitive Moat Clear?"} D -->|No| E["Wait for better vendor"] D -->|Yes| F{"Build Cost ROI < 18mo?"} F -->|No| G["Revisit in 12 months"] F -->|Yes| H{"< 0.5 FTE Maint Burden?"} H -->|No| I["Don't build; buy best-fit"] H -->|Yes| J["BUILD (but integrate tightly)"] C --> K["Vendor license + config"] J --> L["Custom build + vendor API layer"] K --> M["Deploy & measure adoption"] L --> M ``` **Sources:** SaaStr Tech Stack Spend Study, Pavilion Benchmarks, OpenView Build-vs-Buy Analysis TAGS: build-vs-buy,vendor-selection,infrastructure,custom-development,ROI-analysis,competitive-moat,tech-stack-decisions

Tool Category	Vendor Examples	Build Cost	Buy Cost	Decision
CRM Core	Salesforce, HubSpot	$500K+	$2–10K/mo	BUY
Activity	Outreach, Salesloft	$300K	$3–10K/mo	BUY
Analytics	Tableau, Looker	$200K	$2–5K/mo	BUY
Custom Workflow	N/A (unique)	$150–250K	N/A	BUILD if ROI clear
Compensation	Spiff, Motivate	$100K + legal	$500–3K/mo	BUY

Build vs buy: when should we custom-build vs adopt vendor platforms for sales ops infrastructure?

Direct Answer

Operator Approach

Mermaid: Build-vs-Buy Decision Framework

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