What Should You Build When You Can Build Anything?

Being able to build almost anything does not make decisions easier. It creates more possibilities, and therefore more difficult choices. Every time we ask, “Should we build this?”, we must also consider a “buy” option that AI is making better and faster.

Most discussions focus on how AI helps individuals build their own tools. But we speak less about what AI means for the vendors competing with these tools. This is also an important part of the build-versus-buy decision. AI is changing the capabilities of both internal teams and software vendors, so the comparison between them is changing as well.

In this talk, we will take a step back from the hype and consider what the software industry may look like after this transition. What will still be worth building ourselves? What will be better to buy? And what will be assembled from existing components?
We will explore these questions in the specific context of network automation. What do these changes mean for our industry, and how will AI affect what network automation teams choose to build, buy, or assemble from existing components?

The talk will not provide one answer that works for everyone.
Instead, it will offer a framework—and better questions—to help you decide what to build, what to buy, and what to combine.