When Formula 1 teams hit the track, every decision, from aerodynamics to engine suppliers, reflects disciplined trade-offs. Behind the scenes, leaders face a familiar business dilemma: build or buy the capability, or build, buy, or partner with someone who already has it.
This same decision model, known as Build-Buy-Partner (BBP) Analysis, applies across industries. Whether you are shipping a new product, adopting AI, or entering a new market, a clear build vs buy vs partner choice accelerates time to value and limits risk.
Let’s use Formula 1 to illustrate how BBP works in practice.
What is Build-Buy-Partner Analysis?
BBP is a structured way to decide how to acquire a capability.
- Build: Develop in-house with internal teams and resources.
- Buy: Purchase a solution, tool, or company that already delivers the capability.
- Partner: Collaborate with an external organization to co-develop or co-deliver.
Adjacent terms: Many teams run a Build or Buy assessment first, then layer Partner scenarios when speed, access, or distribution matter most. “Build Buy” comparisons often miss partnership paths that unlock both speed and control.
Examples of Build, Buy, and Partner
Build: Red Bull Powertrains
In 2021 Red Bull created Red Bull Powertrains to own the engine roadmap amid hybrid evolution. Investment rose, control and innovation rose with it.
Inside research and insights, teams follow a similar path. CiteFlow centralizes Key Intelligence Questions and project knowledge in a secure, purpose-built platform with AI features tuned to internal workflows. Building in-house guarded confidentiality, aligned features to the process, and improved speed and relevance for high-stakes work.
When to choose Build: You require tight customization, unique IP, or there is no solution that meets the bar.
Buy: Shortcut to Proven Capability
Mercedes bought Ilmor Engineering to form Mercedes High Performance Powertrains, securing an elite engine team and vaulting performance during the hybrid era. Outside motorsports, Meta’s Instagram acquisition delivered instant product-market fit without the uncertainty of a ground-up build.
In technology markets, organizations rely on buy-side research to de-risk a Build or Buy call. See how a global tech leader used validated competitor pricing and packaging to optimize strategy in Pricing & Packaging Insights Help a Global Tech Leader Outperform Competitors.
A Fortune 500 leadership team pressure-tested pricing and accelerated decisions rather than standing up a slower internal build. Read Fortune 500 Company Gains Competitive Edge with Competitor Pricing Analysis.
When to choose Buy: You need a credible solution now, want eventual control, and the market offers a proven fit.
Partner: Speed and Reach Without Owning Everything
Haas entered F1 by partnering deeply with Ferrari for engines and gearboxes while focusing its own resources elsewhere. In AI, Microsoft’s alliance with OpenAI shows how partnership accelerates capability and distribution.
Partnership drives durable advantage when the capability must evolve continually. See Top 10 Pharma Company Strengthens Global Hematology Strategy with Sedulo’s Long-Term CI Partnership for a model of sustained external collaboration over building a large internal function.
Partnership also accelerates market moves in dynamic categories. A global brand reframed strategy after a rival’s platform acquisition in Competitive Intelligence Powers Strategic Response to Social Commerce Disruption.
When to choose Partner: You need speed and market access more than long-term ownership. Partnership outperforms pure build or buy when core strengths are complementary.
Why Build-Buy-Partner Decisions Matter Now
AI, automation, and shifting customer expectations reward disciplined choices. BBP prevents teams from:
- Burning cycles on builds a vendor already solved
- Locking into a vendor without strategic alignment
- Overextending scarce engineering and product capacity
In regulated markets, a continuous partnership model sustains advantage. A life sciences monitoring program shows how ongoing evidence shifts decisions and keeps strategy aligned to new data in Pharma Competitive Intelligence in the Chronic Pain Market.
Execution: How to Run a BBP Analysis
- Define the capability
Clarify the problem, user, and required outcomes. Confirm whether it is core to your value proposition. - Assess internal capacity
Map time, budget, data, and talent. Identify constraints and opportunity costs. - Survey the market
Shortlist credible vendors or acquisition targets. Validate fit, roadmap, security, and references. For a market-entry approach grounded in external validation, see Strategic Intelligence Strengthens Market Entry in a New Product Vertical. - Identify potential partners
Look for players with complementary strengths or distribution. Include coopetition scenarios. - Score and compare
Evaluate control, cost, speed, scalability, and risk. Use a simple Build or Buy scorecard, then add Partner paths to test speed and reach. - Decide and align
Document the rationale. Set integration, change-management, and measurement plans. Reassess quarterly or at major roadmap shifts.
Avoid common traps:
Building from ego slows delivery. Buying without diligence creates lock-in and technical debt. Partnering without governance undermines value. Underestimating integration may lead to paying for it twice.
Common Stakeholders Driving BBP Strategy
- Product defines the problem and the customer experience
- Engineering scopes feasibility and build complexity
- Finance and Procurement evaluate total cost, ROI, and terms
- Legal and Compliance manage contracts, data, and IP
- Executive Leadership aligns decisions to strategy and capital allocation
- Operations and IT plan integration, support, and scale
For startups, one leader may wear several hats. In larger firms, run BBP through a steering committee with clear decision rights.
Take the Build Buy Partner Framework From the Track to the Boardroom
Build-Buy-Partner is a repeatable lens for achieving outcomes with the right balance of control, cost, and speed. Build for differentiation. Buy for proven capability and time to impact. Partner for acceleration and access.
Revisit the decision as conditions change. A Year 1 Build or Buy call may shift by Year 3 when scale, cost, or risk profiles evolve.
If you are preparing for a major initiative, schedule a BBP working session. Score options against control, cost, speed, scalability, and risk. Align on the path that keeps your team fast, focused, and credible with stakeholders.
Want a structured review of Build, Buy, or Partner for your roadmap? Let’s talk strategy.
FAQ: Build vs Buy vs Partner
What is the difference between Build vs Buy and Build-Buy-Partner?
Build or Buy compares in-house development to purchasing a solution. Build-Buy-Partner adds a third path that trades ownership for speed, distribution, and shared innovation.
When should I Build?
Build when the capability defines your competitive advantage, requires unique IP, or demands a level of customization no vendor offers.
When should I Buy?
Buy when the market offers a credible, secure, and scalable solution that meets most requirements and time to value matters more than perfect fit.
When should I Partner?
Partner when a collaborator accelerates speed to market, unlocks distribution, or provides specialized capability that would be slow or costly to replicate.
How do I score Build, Buy, or Partner options?
Rate each path on control, cost, speed, scalability, and risk. Weight criteria to match strategy. Run scenarios for integration cost, data risks, and near-term versus long-term ROI.
How often should we revisit a Build or Buy decision?
Quarterly for critical capabilities, and whenever major variables change, including budget, team capacity, security requirements, or partner roadmaps.