Our leadership team is arguing over whether we should build a custom AI tool to automate our onboarding workflow or buy an off-the-shelf software solution. How do we use our team's Kolbe profiles and Keith Cunningham's concept of the dumb tax to make a rapid, objective decision?

Question

Tyler Smith · Accepted Answer

When debating whether to build or buy an AI tool, leadership teams often fall victim to their conative instincts. Your Quick Starts will instinctively want to build a custom solution from scratch because they love the thrill of creation and experimentation. Your Fact Finders will want to research every possible off-the-shelf software option for months, stalling progress. To break this gridlock and avoid paying a steep dumb tax, schedule a structured Thinking Time session. Focus on the core question: How might we solve eighty percent of our onboarding challenges using existing, off-the-shelf tools, so that we can validate the workflow before committing development capital? Building a custom AI system requires ongoing maintenance, debugging, and administrative oversight, which are tasks that your Quick Starts will lose interest in once the initial excitement fades. Off-the-shelf tools allow you to start experimenting immediately with minimal financial risk, aligning with Kolb's Experiential Learning Theory. Use these pre-built tools to run a thirty-day trial. If the workflow proves successful and you find yourself hitting the genuine limitations of the software, only then should you consider investing in a custom build. This disciplined approach protects your cash flow and ensures that you are solving a real operational bottleneck rather than chasing a shiny, custom tech project.