265 Buying AI vs Building AI - A Leader's Decision Guide
About this episode
Susan Diaz provides a decision guide for leaders on whether to buy, build, or bolt-on AI solutions.
Most teams are stuck in tool obsession: "Should we build agents?" "Should we buy this AI platform?" In this solo, workshop-style episode, host Susan Diaz pulls you back to reality with a simple decision guide: buy vs bolt-on vs build, four leadership filters, and a practical workflow exercise to help you choose the right approach - without falling for agentic fantasies. Episode summary Susan opens with a pattern she's seeing everywhere: 75% of AI conversations revolve around tools - agents, platforms, add-ons - and they're often framed as all-or-nothing decisions. She reframes it: AI is best understood as robotic process automation for the human mind, not a single agent replacing a person or a department. This episode is structured like a mini workshop. Susan asks you to grab paper and map a real workflow step-by-step - because the decision isn't "which AI tool is hot" it's what job are we automating. Then she defines the three choices leaders actually have: Buy: purchase an off-the-shelf solution that works as-is. Build: create something custom (apps, integrated experiences, models). Bolt-on: the underrated middle path - use tools you already have (enterprise LLMs, suites), then…
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