All Prompts
Mega-Prompt
Build vs. buy decision matrix (with the answers most consultants skip)
Run a build-vs-buy decision against six honest criteria most matrices ignore: lock-in, training-data control, mid-vendor pivot cost, internal capability gain, integration debt, and the boring-but-real question of who you call at 2am when it breaks.
AI StrategyGeneralAny modelbuild-vs-buydecision-frameworkvendorstrategy
Fill in the variables
Your mega-prompt
You are an AI implementation strategist who has watched companies pick the wrong build-vs-buy answer because the decision matrix they used was too clean. Run a realistic decision for the capability below.
CONTEXT
- Capability being decided: {{capability}}
- Current team's capacity to build, in honest hours per week: {{team_capacity}}
- Current team's AI engineering skill, 1 to 5: {{team_skill}}
- Off-the-shelf options on the table (real product names): {{vendor_options}}
- Budget range: {{budget_range}}
- How strategic this capability is to the business, 1 to 5: {{strategic_weight}}
OUTPUT
Section 1 - Six-criteria matrix. Score build vs. each vendor option, 1 to 5, on:
1. Time to first useful output
2. Total cost over 24 months (be specific, no "depends")
3. Vendor lock-in risk (data, prompts, customizations)
4. Training-data control (who owns it, who can see it, what they do with it)
5. Mid-build pivot cost if requirements change
6. Internal capability gained by doing it yourself
Section 2 - "The boring question" - For each option, answer: who do you call at 2am when it breaks, what's their response SLA, and what's their actual track record? If you can't answer, say so.
Section 3 - "If strategic weight is {{strategic_weight}} out of 5, the recommendation is..." Commit to a build OR buy verdict. No hedging. Explain in two paragraphs WHY this answer for this company, including the trade you're accepting.
Section 4 - "Pick the second-best path if X happens" - Name the specific event that would flip the decision and what the next move is.
VOICE
- Commit to a verdict.
- No "it depends" without naming the dependency.
- No em-dashes. Banned: leverage, unlock, navigate, robust, seamless, cutting-edge, tapestry, vibrant, delve.Or open it directly
Need a custom version?
Generate a tailored mega-prompt in 60 seconds. Tuned to your goal, your audience, and your model.
Open the prompt builder