Build Vs. Buy: The Tech Decision Leaders Keep Getting Wrong

InnovationBuild Vs. Buy: The Tech Decision Leaders Keep Getting WrongByBankim Chandra,Forbes Councils Member.for Forbes Technology CouncilCOUNCIL POSTExpertise from Forbes Councils members, operated under license. Opinions expressed are those of the author. | Membership (fee-based)May 14, 2026, 08:45am EDTBankim Chandra is Director & CEO of Dotsquares. Always committed to innovative solutions and mentoring the next generation in the industry. gettyThese days, most business decisions are, in one way or another, technology decisions. And few come up as often or carry as much long-term impact as whether to build a solution in-house or buy one off the shelf.It’s a question I’ve seen play out countless times across organizations of different sizes. On the surface, it feels like a logical, almost mathematical decision. With access to better tools, data and AI-driven insights, leaders can now compare costs, timelines and capabilities faster than ever before.And yet, despite all this progress, many are still getting it wrong. Part of the challenge is that the decision often appears clearer than it really is. Buying a solution is typically associated with speed and efficiency. It gets you to market faster, reduces initial investment and comes with pre-built functionality. Building, on the other hand, is seen as slower and more resource-intensive but offers greater flexibility and control.If you rely purely on data, the answer can seem obvious. But in practice, the outcome is rarely that straightforward. What I’ve observed is that data tends to favor what's immediate and measurable. It highlights cost savings, deployment speed and feature comparisons. What it doesn’t fully capture is how a solution will evolve with the business, how well it fits within existing teams or how it supports long-term strategy.For example, a platform might look like the perfect fit today, but over time, it can introduce constraints that weren’t initially visible. Teams may find themselves...