Build, Buy, or Partner Scorecard
Turn a gut-feel argument into a structured one. Weight what matters, score each option, mark the must-haves, and see whether the winner holds when the weights change.
The scores below are an illustrative example. Replace them with your own evidence. Weights run from 1 (minor) to 5 (critical). Scores run from 1 (poor) to 5 (excellent) for how well each option meets the criterion.
| Criterion | Weight | Must-have | Build | Buy | Partner |
|---|
How to use it well
Agree the criteria and the weights before anyone scores the options, otherwise people weight to favor their preferred answer. Write one sentence of evidence for each score somewhere you can share it. Mark a criterion as a must-have if an option that fails it should be ruled out whatever its total, and the tool will flag any option that scores 2 or lower on one.
The sensitivity check moves each weight up and down by one point and reports how often the winner stays the same. If the answer flips with small changes, treat the decision as a close call and look for ways to make it reversible: pilot a partnership, buy first and build later, or build behind an interface so you can swap the provider.
The reasoning behind each criterion is in build, buy, or partner: a decision framework for product teams. To put a cost on each option over three years, use the product business case calculator, test the downside of relying on a single supplier with the partner concentration risk checker, and read commercial due diligence before you buy or partner on anyone's word. For AI capabilities specifically, see AI product strategy.
Embed this tool
Free to use on your own site. Copy the code — the caption links back here.
Built by Deepanshu Grover, a Senior Product Strategy Consultant and AI builder in Paris. Runs entirely in your browser, nothing is sent anywhere. About · Get in touch