Submitted by jordan on Tue, 08/11/2026 - 17:00
Short answer: Buy an off-the-shelf agent when the job is generic and the data is standard — you'll be live in weeks. Build custom when the agent runs on your proprietary data and workflows and becomes a competitive moat. In practice, most businesses land on a managed middle path: custom where it differentiates, bought where it doesn't, with a partner running both.