Direct Answer
Buy off-the-shelf when (a) the workflow is standard, (b) a SaaS product has 80%+ of the features you need, and (c) integration is the biggest issue (which can usually be solved with Zapier/Make). Build custom when (a) the workflow is your competitive edge, (b) you have data flows or rules no SaaS product covers, or (c) compliance demands it.
Voice answer (≤30 words)
“Buy off the shelf for standard workflows. Build custom when the workflow is your edge or no SaaS covers your data flows.”
Time-to-value matters: if a SaaS solves 80% of the problem in 2 weeks, that usually beats a 12-week custom build that solves 100%.
Run a 1-hour 'build vs buy' workshop before any custom-software discovery — it eliminates 30% of would-be projects.
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