In the realm of engineering and data infrastructure, the persistent dilemma of choosing between building in-house solutions and purchasing off-the-shelf products is highlighted, with the latter often being the more cost-effective and efficient choice. The text emphasizes that attempting to replicate vendor solutions, which have been honed over years by specialized teams, can lead to significant resource allocation problems, including labor costs and opportunity costs of time. While engineers may feel the urge to build custom solutions due to the complexity and appeal of such projects, the text advocates for focusing engineering efforts on higher-value tasks like developing user-facing features and machine learning automation. The narrative warns against the potential pitfalls of selecting poor vendors, despite the general recommendation to buy rather than build, and suggests that a well-chosen product can ultimately save time and resources while delivering effective results.