Build Versus Platform Triage (Onboarding)

Build Versus Platform Triage (Onboarding)

1. 01

   Inventory every screen, data entity, and integration the client expects at launch

   Write the list before opening any builder. A client portal with 14 screens and 6 external data feeds behaves very differently from a 3-screen approval tracker, and the count drives the platform shortlist.

2. 02

   Score each requirement on relational complexity, not on how easy it looks in a demo

   Multi-table joins, role-based permissions, and audit trails are where visual builders slow down. Flag anything needing precise relational reasoning; a knowledge graph approach may fit better than vector retrieval for that class of workflow.

3. 03

   Set a build-versus-platform threshold in hours before the estimate goes out

   If the conventional build lands under roughly 80 hours of senior engineering, the platform's subscription plus configuration time rarely wins on total cost. Above that line, reusable patterns start paying for themselves.

4. 04

   Confirm the client's data residency and sovereignty constraints in writing

   European clients are moving from ambition to concrete localization decisions, so a platform that stores records outside the required region can disqualify itself before pricing is discussed.

5. 05

   Test the two hardest requirements in a throwaway prototype on the leading platform

   Spend a fixed 4 hours, no more. Prototype the ugliest permission rule and the messiest integration. If either needs custom code, log the hours; that number belongs in the proposal, not in a surprise change order.

6. 06

   Document the exit path before signing the client retainer

   Record how records export, in what format, and what breaks on the way out. A platform with no clean export turns a 6-month engagement into a hostage situation.

7. 07

   Price the platform subscription into the retainer line, not into overhead

   Per-seat costs scale with the client's headcount, not yours. Show the client the seat math so renewal conversations start from shared numbers.