Re:Internal tools often make bad startup ideas
by mdorazio on Wednesday February 14, 2024 @08:09PM
(#39377899)
Do you also love to maintain the tools you build? That's at least half the reason you buy instead of build.
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Re:Internal tools often make bad startup ideas
by unlikelytomato on Wednesday February 14, 2024 @08:37PM
(#39378101)
As long as someone also accounts for the cost to maintain a business relationship with the vendor. This has not been my experience.
Re:Internal tools often make bad startup ideas
by jpgvm on Thursday February 15, 2024 @01:37AM
(#39379786)
Maintenance is easy if you don't suck at retention. As much as engineers like to build they also really enjoy gardening.
The only compelling argument I have heard for buy over build is "well, our engineers keep leaving". Yeah, because you are terrible at managing them - so no shit they leave.
A competently managed technical team has some natural attrition but the rates of turnover I see in a lot of companies that push this ethos is far beyond normal or healthy.
All software becomes "legacy" in short order if you are constantly hemorrhaging tribal knowledge and skills.
Re:Internal tools often make bad startup ideas
by ang_cire on Wednesday February 28, 2024 @07:01PM
(#39545088)
Yes, of course. I know some people want to build something and then hand it off, but personally I love to actually use and improve the tools I make.
Even with my personal projects, I find myself going back to my old projects and adding stuff to them, much more often than I find myself starting brand new ones.