Build vs. Vibe vs Buy

Try it

AI-assisted coding has added a third option to the traditional build-or-buy decision. Teams can turn an idea into a working prototype quickly, but a convincing demo leaves important questions unresolved: who will maintain the application, what data will it handle, and what happens when the business starts depending on it? Choosing an approach without addressing those questions can turn a promising experiment into an operational responsibility that nobody planned for.

Sia’s Build vs Vibe vs Buy framework helps business and technology stakeholders compare custom development, AI-assisted prototyping and off-the-shelf software. It structures the discussion around the project’s needs and constraints, giving teams a common basis for deciding how to proceed before committing to a delivery path.

The application combines 18 weighted questions, four hard constraints and adjustable weighting to produce a recommendation with the factors behind it.

- Structured comparison : Assess Build, Vibe and Buy through a common questionnaire. Bring the three approaches into the same discussion, whether the initiative concerns a new application, an internal workflow or a proposed replacement for an existing tool.

- Adjustable priorities : Adapt the weighting to reflect the considerations that matter to your organization. Make those priorities explicit so business and technology stakeholders can discuss the assumptions behind their preferences.

- Hard constraints : Consider four hard constraints alongside the weighted questions. The framework brings attention to conditions that must be addressed when evaluating an approach, particularly for foundational, regulated or business-critical systems.

- Explained recommendations : Receive a recommendation together with the factors that support it. Review the rationale with the people responsible for the initiative, challenge the assumptions and identify what needs further investigation before a decision is made.

- From experimentation to production : Consider where rapid AI-assisted prototyping is appropriate and where additional review or a more formal delivery approach is needed. A production system still requires specifications, sound architecture, testing and accountability appropriate to its role in the business.

The framework supports CIOs, business sponsors and technology teams at the point where an idea becomes a delivery decision. Its recommendation provides a starting point for discussions with engineering, architecture, security and procurement. The final choice remains with the people accountable for the project and its operation.

Build vs Vibe vs Buy makes the reasoning behind a software delivery decision explicit. Teams leave the assessment with a recommendation they can examine together and a clearer basis for deciding what to prototype, what to build and what to buy.