Oded Sagie, VP of R&D at Aquant, shares insights into the challenges and hidden costs associated with building proprietary AI infrastructure, particularly vector databases, as opposed to purchasing managed solutions. Initially, the allure of creating custom systems can be enticing, offering perceived freedom and flexibility. However, as Aquant experienced, the long-term maintenance, complexity, and resource allocation required for such systems can become burdensome, detracting from core business innovation and slowing down product development. These hidden costs manifest in the form of infrastructure management, talent retention, and opportunity costs, ultimately impacting business performance and agility. Sagie advocates for a balanced approach, building non-core components in-house while relying on enterprise-ready tools for critical infrastructure, as exemplified by Aquant's partnership with Pinecone for scalable vector database solutions. This decision reflects a broader industry trend where teams initially embrace open-source solutions only to pivot to managed services as they scale, prioritizing time, expertise, and momentum over the perceived advantages of building from scratch.