How do you decide when to invest in custom tooling versus using off-the-shelf solutions?

For me, it depends on the scale of the project.

How many users I have

It's really a question of flexibility for me. Off-the-shelf tools are great for general needs.

I think it depends on your specific needs and budget. Off-the-shelf solutions can be great for getting up and running quickly without a lot of dev effort. But as you scale, the limitations can become painful. Building your own custom tools tailored to your unique workflow and requirements, while a bigger initial investment, can really pay off in the long run in terms of productivity and flexibility. I'd start with off-the-shelf, but keep an eye out for when you start outgrowing them and custom tooling makes sense.

I lean towards off-the-shelf solutions early on for speed, but as complexity grows, custom tooling becomes more appealing. The key is finding the tipping point where the benefits of customization (flexibility, performance, user experience) outweigh the upfront dev costs. I look at projected growth and assess if the tool is core to our unique value prop. If yes, it's often worth investing in making it our own vs generic, even if it slows the roadmap initially. Thoughts?

At the start of a project, I prefer using ready-made solutions. However, as the product grows more complex and the user base expands, and the ready-made solutions can no longer meet the requirements, I lean towards developing my own solutions

To me it's always a binary, price decision. I'll go with whichever option is cheaper.

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