Build vs. Buy - All Things Product Podcast with Teresa Torres & Petra Wille

Listen to this episode on: Spotify | Apple Podcasts

Build vs. buy is one of those product decisions that never goes away — and AI is changing how teams think about it (but maybe not in the way you expect).

In this episode of All Things Product, Petra Wille and Teresa Torres unpack the build vs. buy conversation through real examples, personal stories, and practical decision-making frameworks. Teresa shares why she would never build her own blogging platform — but did build her own task management system — and what that reveals about core value, data ownership, and long-term maintenance.

Together, Petra and Teresa explore how AI, vibe coding, and cheaper prototyping are shifting the economics of building software, why data portability has become a first-class concern, and how product teams can de-risk build vs. buy decisions using discovery practices — not gut feel.

If you’re navigating vendor lock-in, debating whether your team should “just build it,” or rethinking these decisions in an AI-first world, this episode will help you ask better questions before you commit.

What this episode covers:

Why build vs. buy keeps coming up

  • It shows up in every product org, at every stage

  • AI makes building feel easier — but doesn’t eliminate the real tradeoffs

The classic rule of thumb (and its limits)

  • If something isn’t core to your value stream, don’t build it

  • Even when it is core, vendors may still be better positioned (payments, invoicing, infrastructure)

Teresa’s two contrasting examples

  • Why she moved from WordPress to Ghost instead of building her own blog platform

  • Why she did build her own task management system — despite plenty of existing tools

The role of data ownership

  • When the underlying data becomes the real product

  • How task management, notes, and workflows become deeply personal and idiosyncratic

  • Why owning and controlling data changes the build vs. buy equation

How AI is changing the decision

  • Cheaper prototyping and “vibe coding” lower the cost of building

  • Smaller, more targeted tools become viable alternatives to big SaaS platforms

  • Pressure on vendors to improve data portability

Vendor lock-in and data portability

  • Why exports aren’t always enough

  • What to look for when evaluating tools like CRMs or course platforms

  • When buying still makes sense — and when it doesn’t

Build vs. buy as a discovery problem

  • Treating options as assumptions to test

  • Feasibility testing on the build side

  • Actually trialing vendors instead of trusting marketing claims

A caution on complexity

  • Why “we can build anything” isn’t the same as “we should build this”

  • How long-lived products accumulate hidden complexity over time

  • Being honest about engineering capabilities and maintenance costs

Key takeaways

  • Build vs. buy isn’t just about speed or cost — it’s about core value, data ownership, and long-term responsibility

  • AI lowers the barrier to building, but doesn’t erase complexity

  • Treat build vs. buy decisions like any other discovery effort: test assumptions, prototype, and validate before committing

  • Ask not just can we build it, but should we own it?

Resources & Links:

Mentioned in this episode:

Petra Wille