build vs buy

A strategic decision with a clear default and specific reasons to deviate. The interviewer wants a framework grounded in evals, volume, constraints and team capacity.

A high-stakes strategic question where the answer is usually no, but not always. The interviewer wants the real goal behind the request, the economics, and a recommendation the CEO can accept.

A platform decision with a three-year shadow. Hosted platforms ship faster today; owning the stack keeps options open. Principal answers decide which layers must stay portable and accept convenience everywhere else.

The cheap option per conversation is the expensive one per customer, until you read how the vendor defines 'resolved'. Two calculations, and the second one is where the offer is decided.

Custom models are sometimes right and usually premature. Show a ladder of cheaper options, the evidence that would justify climbing it, and how you kept the customer while saying no.