How do you keep the product vision in mind when deciding whether to “build or buy”?

For operations we are 99% buy due to our history of trouble in maintenance

However we do build occasionally but it takes a long approval chain to ensure it’s appropriate

Gautham, So much (should) goes into a decision to build vs. buy. 
1. Staffing models and organizational support
- Success/failure in building and supporting applications historically
- Will of the C-Suite to enable both the culture and the resources to help guarantee success
2. Value of the custom features that you would lose if you bought or used SaaS. 
- How do the unique features you might gain by building your own, bring additional value to the enterprise and how does that weigh vs. time-to-value and other benefits of Off-the-Shelf. 
3. Localized integration opportunities 
4. Security capabilities
5. Etc., etc..

Differentiators directly link with the engagement of end-users and products or services. That’s where we get to create and build a strong emotional bond between the consumer and provider. In his recent book ‘Ask your Developer’ Jeff Lawson (CEO of Twilio) says, “Build or Die.” Companies that do not build the differentiators cannot survive. They cannot create enough intrinsic value to futureproof the company. History provides empirical proof to his statement through case studies of legendary companies such as Kodak, Blockbuster, and Nokia.