
Build or buy: how startups should decide which internal tools to code
A practical test for when your engineers should write an internal tool themselves, when to pay for software, and the costs founders routinely leave off the spreadsheet.
Choosing, building and buying the software a company runs on.

A practical test for when your engineers should write an internal tool themselves, when to pay for software, and the costs founders routinely leave off the spreadsheet.

Buyers and later-stage investors look past the demo to your code ownership, licenses, security record and cloud bill. Here is what they examine and how to prepare.

AI vendors handle your prompts, files and customer data under terms that vary widely. These are the clauses that decide what happens to your company's information.

Usage-based model pricing can quietly erode software margins. These are the engineering and pricing controls that keep inference costs in line as adoption grows.

Business email compromise relies on a convincing message and a rushed payment. These are the controls that stop it, and what to do if money has already left.

The earliest decisions after a security incident shape the legal, financial and customer fallout. Here is the order of operations for a small company without a security team.

Enterprise buyers increasingly ask for a SOC 2 report before they sign. Here is what it covers, how Type I and Type II differ, and how to time the work.

Security questionnaires and procurement reviews can add months to an enterprise sale. These are the steps that shorten them, from answer libraries to contract positions.