Should you build your own marketing tools with AI?

Short answer: Only some of them, say all 4 experts here. Building is now realistic, and Adam Schoenfeld sees GTM teams building agents on top of tools they buy. But Dharmesh Shah and the operators Brendan Short interviewed point to the hidden cost of maintaining what you build, and Alex Lieberman would only build what holds your edge, captures your own context, or saves enough to clear an ROI bar.

What the experts say

Cheap building doesn't mean build everything

Alex Lieberman (Morning Brew) · Nov 3, 2026
AI is dropping the cost of building software to zero, but Alex says people forget the opportunity cost of their time. He'd build only 3 things: core processes that hold your edge, the systems that capture your own context and eval data, and replacements for vendors whose cost clears an ROI threshold.
→ Read Alex's post

Build the system, buy the Legos

Adam Schoenfeld (Keyplay) · Nov 2, 2026
Adam doesn't think GTM teams should vibe code a CRM or a Calendly clone. But with agents doing real work, more builders inside GTM teams and agent-friendly developer tools, he sees teams shifting from stacking SaaS to building their own agents on tools they buy.
→ Read Adam's post

If you can buy from a company you trust, buy

Dharmesh Shah (HubSpot) · Oct 22, 2026
When you pay for software, Dharmesh says, you're paying for someone else to get the call at 2am when it breaks. He'd only build if nothing close is for sale, or if buying costs 100x what a team of at least 2 would to maintain it, and he admits he's biased as HubSpot's CTO.
→ Read Dharmesh's post

Buy the foundation and build on top

Brendan Short (The Signal) · Oct 18, 2026
Brendan interviewed 20 GTM operators at Sculpt. Most agreed you should buy the foundation and build on top of it, and almost every build-vs-buy answer ended up on the hidden cost of maintenance.
→ Read Brendan's post

SaaS Marketing Experts collates expert opinions from around the web. We have no affiliation with any of the experts cited here. If you're one of them, ask us to correct or remove your take.