The Power of Not Building: Strategic Software Development

It may seem strange for a custom software consultancy to make a case for not writing software. We are a group of highly skilled engineers who love solving hard problems, and for the record we love building software. But our commitment to client success means being honest about when custom development is - and isn't - the right choice.

To help navigate these decisions, we've developed a framework that covers when to buy existing solutions, how to evaluate platforms, when custom development makes sense, and how to build for maximum impact. Let's explore each of these elements, starting with how to identify your highest leverage opportunities.

Find Your Leverage Points 

High leverage comes from technology that amplifies your core value. Take an executive coaching business: While a website listing services is necessary, a custom scheduling system enables seamless client booking and creates real competitive advantage. Similarly in ecommerce, while search is crucial, it's often better handled by proven platforms. The real leverage may come from a custom checkout flow that enables unique promotions and payment options. The key question isn't "Is this feature important?" but "Does custom development here create a unique advantage?"

Spot the Warning Signs 

Three patterns signal when to avoid custom development:

• Commodity Features: If most competitors offer similar functionality, custom development rarely provides advantage

• Scale-Driven Success: When cost efficiency determines winners, established platforms usually win

• Non-Core Features: Technology that doesn't enhance your key differentiators costs more than it returns

Choose the Right Platform 

When evaluating vendors, look beyond feature lists for deeper signals. API documentation reveals engineering culture. Integration capabilities show platform flexibility. Community forums expose scaling challenges. As consultants who routinely evaluate technology fit across industries, we can quickly spot how a platform will mesh with your existing systems and team capabilities. Our experience helps identify integration challenges early, saving costly discoveries mid-implementation.

Build for Impact

Once you've identified where custom development provides strategic advantage and selected the right platforms for everything else, it's time to focus on building features that truly move the needle. Let’s look at some examples:

• Marketplace Revenue: In multi-seller platforms, custom attribution models and revenue-sharing systems provide crucial flexibility. Affiliate marketplaces particularly benefit from unique approaches to tracking traffic and splitting payments.

• Data-Driven Retail: While ecommerce is crowded, custom analytics combining traffic data, A/B testing, and checkout behavior create competitive edges. Standard tools exist, but tailored reporting aligned with business strategy drives better decisions.

• Operational Excellence: Consider grocery's curbside pickup challenge. Custom slot management systems balance customer convenience with labor costs, turning operational complexity into advantage.

• AI Integration: Every business needs an AI strategy. Custom solutions that enhance customer experience or streamline internal processes are becoming table stakes. The key is matching AI capabilities to specific business leverage points.

Build for Sustainability

Success in custom development comes from leveraging your team's strengths. When engineers focus on core differentiators instead of maintaining commodity features, they build deeper domain expertise. Be wary of what we call Resume Driven Development (RDD) - introducing new technologies just to try them out. While new tools can add value, each addition brings complexity. Every new language or framework needs clear business justification.

The Right Choice 

Sometimes recommending against custom development is the best way to serve our clients. Our goal isn't to write more code - it's to help you win in your market through smart technology choices.