Cost and Scope Scorecard

Decide whether to build or buy, and size the smallest first phase that pays for itself.

15 checks30 minutes

From the guide Custom Software for US Businesses: Build vs Buy, Real Costs, and Timelines

The useful question is not what custom software costs, but what the smallest version is that pays for itself. Score your situation, then scope from the answer.

01Is custom the right call

Check whether the thing you do differently is what makes you moneyBending a generic tool around your edge is a tax you pay forever.
Count the signals: tool gaps, hand-copied data, one person babysitting a flowSeveral of these together mean the workarounds already cost more than a fix.
Confirm you can draw the workflow on a whiteboardSoftware does not fix an undecided process, it makes the confusion run faster.
Rule out temporary needs and ones a mainstream tool already fitsBuilding a commodity costs more than buying it and buys you nothing extra.

Cost and Scope Scorecard

01Is custom the right call

02Score build against buy

03Shape the spend

The rest of the kit is one step away.