build-vs-buy
Build vs Buy Skill
When evaluating whether to build in-house or adopt an external solution, follow this structured process. The goal is to make a clear, data-driven recommendation that accounts for the full lifecycle — not just the initial build.
IMPORTANT: Always save the output as a markdown file in the project-decisions/ directory at the project root. Create the directory if it doesn't exist.
0. Output Setup
# Create project-decisions directory if it doesn't exist
mkdir -p project-decisions
# File will be saved as:
# project-decisions/YYYY-MM-DD-build-vs-buy-[kebab-case-topic].md
# Example: project-decisions/2026-02-19-build-vs-buy-auth-system.md
1. Frame the Problem
Define the Need
More from aakash-dhar/claude-skills
security-audit
Scans code for security vulnerabilities including injection attacks, authentication flaws, exposed secrets, insecure dependencies, and data exposure. Use when the user says "security review", "is this secure?", "check for vulnerabilities", "audit this", or before deploying to production.
118pentest-report
Generates a structured penetration testing report based on OWASP standards including OWASP Top 10, ASVS, and WSTG methodology. Scans code for vulnerabilities, maps findings to OWASP categories, assigns CVSS scores, and produces a professional pentest report. Use when the user says "pentest report", "penetration testing", "OWASP audit", "OWASP report", "security assessment", "vulnerability assessment", "application security test", or "OWASP compliance check".
18vulnerability-report
Scans project dependencies for known vulnerabilities (CVEs), categorizes them into three severity-based reports (Critical/High, Medium, Low), and generates detailed markdown documents with remediation guidance. Saves output to project-decisions/ folder. Use when the user says "vulnerability report", "dependency vulnerabilities", "CVE report", "package vulnerabilities", "npm audit report", "dependency scan", "vulnerable packages", "security vulnerabilities in dependencies", or "generate vulnerability reports".
5code-review
Reviews code for bugs, security issues, performance problems, and adherence to best practices. Use when the user asks to "review this code", "check my code", "is this code good?", or before submitting a PR.
4risk-register
Creates and maintains a living project risk register by analyzing the codebase, dependencies, team structure, timeline, and technical decisions. Identifies risks, scores them by likelihood and impact, assigns owners, tracks mitigations, and flags risks that have changed since last assessment. Saves output to project-decisions/ folder. Use when the user says "risk register", "project risks", "what could go wrong", "risk assessment", "identify risks", "update risks", "risk review", "what are our risks", or "flag risks for the project".
4tech-decision
Evaluates technical proposals, "should we do X instead of Y?" questions, tool comparisons, and architecture suggestions. Analyzes feasibility, compares options with structured pros/cons, estimates effort and risk, and provides a clear recommendation. Saves output to project-decisions/ folder. Use when the user says "should we", "what if we", "is it worth", "should we switch to", "compare X vs Y", "evaluate this proposal", "tech decision", or brings up a technical suggestion from a team discussion.
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