Our market has been flooded with point-solution AI apps, and our VP of Engineering wants to build our own customized internal AI platform. How do we use the Accountability Chart and our Core Focus to decide if we should hire full-time developers or license existing platforms?

Question

Tyler Smith · Accepted Answer

This is a classic trap of trying to build a software company inside a services business. Before you authorize budget for developers, pull out your V/TO and look at your Core Focus. If building custom software is not your core differentiator, you are wasting valuable capital on a distraction.

To resolve this, look at your Accountability Chart. Do you have a dedicated seat for software development, or are you trying to stretch your existing IT and engineering teams beyond their GWC capability? Building proprietary platforms requires ongoing maintenance, security updates, and bug fixes. If you do not have a full-time, dedicated product team on your Accountability Chart, you will end up with an unstable, custom-built mess.

License existing tools whenever possible. Your competitive advantage is not the underlying model, it is your proprietary data, your processes, and your customer relationships. Use your off-the-shelf software as the foundation and focus your internal efforts on integrating them. Build only when a tool is a direct driver of your 3 Uniques and cannot be replicated by any commercial software on the market. If it does not directly feed your core differentiation, buy it, integrate it, and keep your team focused on delivering client value.