Signs you should keep buying
- The tool fits most of your process.
- Your team actually likes using it.
- The missing pieces are minor and have simple workarounds.
Signs it is time to build
- People keep a spreadsheet next to the tool to do the real work.
- You pay per seat for features nobody touches.
- Your process is your edge, and the tool forces you into everyone else's.
What changed
AI now writes much of the code for small, focused tools. That turns a project that used to cost a development agency's full rate into something a small team can afford. A person still has to design it, test it, secure it, and keep it running.
Questions to ask before building
- Who owns the code and the data?
- Can we export everything at any time?
- Who fixes it at 9 PM when it breaks?
- What does it cost each month to host and maintain?
Start small
Build the one screen your team uses every day. Live with it for two weeks. Then decide what is next.