We are trying to decide whether to license an expensive enterprise AI platform that integrates with our core workflow or assign our internal product team to build a custom solution using open APIs. How do we use Keith Cunningham's Thinking Time to evaluate the true operational risks of vendor lock-in versus the internal maintenance burden?

Question

Tyler Smith · Accepted Answer

This is a classic build versus buy decision, but AI introduces high technological obsolescence. If you build, you risk creating a system that is obsolete before it is finished. If you buy, you risk vendor lock-in and high recurring fees.

To find clarity, schedule a thirty-minute Thinking Time session using Keith Cunningham's methodology. Sit in a quiet room with a blank pad of paper and a pen. Ask yourself this specific question: How might we leverage third-party AI platforms to automate our core workflow so that we minimize our annual software costs while preventing our business from becoming dependent on a single vendor's closed ecosystem?

Write down every single risk, no matter how minor. You must separate the immediate convenience of a SaaS tool from the long-term enterprise value of your company. If you build a proprietary wrapper, you are taking on a continuous software development burden that requires a dedicated seat on your Accountability Chart. Do you actually have the resources to manage software updates, security patches, and API changes?

If the answer is no, then buying is the logical path. However, you must negotiate contract terms that allow for easy data extraction if you choose to migrate later. Use your V/TO® Three-Year Picture to decide. If owning proprietary technology is not a core differentiator that will drive a higher valuation multiplier at exit, do not build it. Use off-the-shelf tools, master their prompt engineering, and focus your capital on scaling your delivery team.