M&A: Build vs. Buy vs. Partner

We're evaluating three paths to [STRATEGIC OBJECTIVE]:

OPTION 1: Acquire [COMPANY NAME]
- Purchase price: $[AMOUNT]
- Their revenue: $[AMOUNT] growing at [%] annually
- Profitability: [EBITDA/margins or cash burn]
- What we'd get: [team, customers, technology, IP]
- Integration complexity: [concerns]

OPTION 2: Build in-house
- Timeline to market: [MONTHS]
- Total investment: $[AMOUNT]
- Key risks: [technical, talent, timing]
- What we'd need: [capabilities to acquire]

OPTION 3: Partner with [COMPANY NAME]
- Deal structure: [revenue share/equity/terms]
- Timeline: [MONTHS]
- What we get: [their capabilities]
- What we give up: [margin, control, flexibility]

Our core competency: [YOUR STRENGTH]
Competitive context: [market pressure, competitor moves]

Analyze through build-vs-buy economics, capability fit, and competitive
timing. Recommend with 12-18 month validation criteria.

Portfolio Strategy: Invest, Harvest, or Divest

Our company has [NUMBER] product lines generating $[TOTAL REVENUE]:

HIGH-GROWTH LINES ([% OF REVENUE]):
- [PRODUCT NAME]: [revenue, growth %, margin, customer type]
- [PRODUCT NAME]: [revenue, growth %, margin, customer type]

FLAT LINES ([% OF REVENUE]):
- [PRODUCT NAME]: [revenue, growth %, margin, customer type]
- [PRODUCT NAME]: [revenue, growth %, margin, customer type]

DECLINING LINES ([% OF REVENUE]):
- [PRODUCT NAME]: [revenue, growth %, margin, customer type]
- [PRODUCT NAME]: [revenue, growth %, margin, customer type]

Context:
- [KEY CONSTRAINT: capital available, team capacity, market dynamics]
- [LEADERSHIP DIRECTIVE or pressure]
- [STRATEGIC GOAL: IPO prep, focus, margin improvement]

Board wants a portfolio strategy: which businesses to invest in, harvest,
or divest. Consider strategic coherence, capital efficiency, and competitive
moats. Recommend with criteria for measuring success over [TIMEFRAME].

GTM Strategy: Customer Segment Focus

Our [PRODUCT TYPE] has [NUMBER] customer segments:

SEGMENT 1: [SEGMENT NAME]
- Acquisition motion: [how they find/buy]
- [%] of signups/customers
- ACV: $[AMOUNT]
- Churn: [%]
- CAC: $[AMOUNT] / CAC payback: [MONTHS]
- Key characteristics: [decision maker, deal cycle, support needs]

SEGMENT 2: [SEGMENT NAME]
- Acquisition motion: [how they find/buy]
- [%] of signups/customers
- ACV: $[AMOUNT]
- Churn: [%]
- CAC: $[AMOUNT] / CAC payback: [MONTHS]
- Key characteristics: [decision maker, deal cycle, support needs]

Current situation:
- [TEAM/STAKEHOLDER] wants to [THEIR STRATEGY and required investment]
- [OTHER TEAM/STAKEHOLDER] wants to [COMPETING STRATEGY and required investment]
- Budget constraint: [CAPITAL/HEADCOUNT/TIME limitation]

Additional context: [product readiness, competitive pressure, other concerns]

Analyze through unit economics, CAC payback, and competitive moat.
Recommend with [TIMEFRAME] validation criteria.

Pricing Model Evolution

Current pricing: [MODEL TYPE] at [RATE/STRUCTURE]
- Typical customer spend: $[AMOUNT]/[PERIOD]
- Revenue: $[AMOUNT] / [NUMBER] customers
- Current margin: [%]

Problem: [SPECIFIC ISSUE - bill shock, unpredictability, competitive pressure,
value leakage, churn triggers]

OPTIONS UNDER CONSIDERATION:

Option 1: [PRICING MODEL]
- Structure: [how it works]
- Expected impact on: revenue [up/down %], churn [up/down %], sales cycle [change]
- Implementation complexity: [technical, customer communication, sales training]

Option 2: [PRICING MODEL]
- Structure: [how it works]
- Expected impact on: revenue [up/down %], churn [up/down %], sales cycle [change]
- Implementation complexity: [technical, customer communication, sales training]

Option 3: [PRICING MODEL]
- Structure: [how it works]
- Expected impact on: revenue [up/down %], churn [up/down %], sales cycle [change]
- Implementation complexity: [technical, customer communication, sales training]

Competitive landscape: [how competitors price]
Constraint: [STAKEHOLDER] needs [SPECIFIC OUTCOME] for [BUSINESS REASON]

Analyze revenue predictability, customer value capture, and churn risk.
Recommend with transition approach and [TIMEFRAME] success metrics.

Geographic Expansion: Market Selection

Current geography: [REGION/COUNTRY] is [%] of revenue ($[AMOUNT])

OPTION 1: [REGION/COUNTRY]
- Market size: [TAM or comparable metric]
- ICP similarity: [how similar to current customers]
- Language/regulatory: [barriers or advantages]
- Competition: [who's there, how strong]
- GTM approach: [direct, partner, hybrid]
- Investment required: $[AMOUNT]
- Expected payback: [TIMEFRAME]

OPTION 2: [REGION/COUNTRY]
- Market size: [TAM or comparable metric]
- ICP similarity: [how similar to current customers]
- Language/regulatory: [barriers or advantages]
- Competition: [who's there, how strong]
- GTM approach: [direct, partner, hybrid]
- Investment required: $[AMOUNT]
- Expected payback: [TIMEFRAME]

Constraint: [SALES CAPACITY/BUDGET/TEAM limitation - can only fund one]
Strategic context: [why now, what's driving this decision]

Consider market size, competitive dynamics, GTM leverage, and optionality
for future expansion. Recommend with [TIMEFRAME] validation criteria.

Platform vs. Point Solution

Our [PRODUCT TYPE] has [NUMBER] features across [NUMBER] categories

USAGE DATA:
- [NUMBER] features used heavily by [%] of customers: [LIST]
- [NUMBER] features used occasionally by [%] of customers: [LIST]
- [NUMBER] features rarely/never used: [LIST]

CUSTOMER PERFORMANCE DATA:
- Customers using [1-3 / 4-6 / 7+ features]: [retention %, ACV, sales cycle]
- Platform users vs. point solution users: [comparative metrics]

OPTIONS:

Option 1: Double down on core
- What this means: [cut X features, increase depth in Y areas]
- Investment: $[AMOUNT] / [TEAM SIZE]
- Expected impact: [on retention, ACV, competitive position]

Option 2: Expand to platform
- What this means: [add integrations, adjacent categories]
- Investment: $[AMOUNT] / [TEAM SIZE]
- Expected impact: [on retention, ACV, competitive position]

Market context: [what competitors are doing, customer expectations]
Internal pressure: [product velocity concerns, technical debt, team capacity]

Consider strategic differentiation, monetization potential, and execution
risk. Recommend with [TIMEFRAME] validation criteria.

Technical Architecture: Rewrite vs. Optimize

Current state: [TECH STACK/ARCHITECTURE] supporting [SCALE METRICS]

PROBLEMS:
- [PERFORMANCE ISSUE with business impact]
- [SCALABILITY LIMIT with business impact]
- [TECHNICAL DEBT with business impact]

OPTION 1: [MAJOR REWRITE/MIGRATION]
- What: [specific technical approach]
- Timeline: [MONTHS]
- Engineering effort: [TEAM SIZE] for [DURATION]
- Short-term impact: [feature velocity slowdown, customer impact]
- Long-term benefit: [scalability, performance, maintainability gains]
- Risk: [what could go wrong]

OPTION 2: Optimize existing architecture
- What: [specific optimizations]
- Timeline: [MONTHS]
- Engineering effort: [TEAM SIZE] for [DURATION]
- Short-term impact: [trade-offs]
- Long-term limitation: [what we still can't do]

OPTION 3: [HYBRID APPROACH if applicable]
- What: [specific approach]
- Timeline and effort: [details]
- Trade-offs: [pros and cons]

Business pressure: [customer threatening churn, scaling event, competitive issue]
Stakeholder positions: [Engineering wants X, Product wants Y, Sales needs Z]

Analyze technical debt, product velocity impact, and business risk.
Recommend with decision criteria and [TIMEFRAME] validation metrics.

Feature Prioritization Under Constraint

[TIMEFRAME] engineering capacity: [STORY POINTS/SPRINTS/TEAM WEEKS]

COMPETING PRIORITIES:

Feature 1: [NAME]
- Effort: [ESTIMATE]
- Unlocks: [REVENUE/PIPELINE/CUSTOMER VALUE with numbers]
- Requested by: [STAKEHOLDER/CUSTOMERS/BOTH]
- Strategic value: [competitive, retention, expansion, technical debt]
- Risk if we don't: [specific consequence]

Feature 2: [NAME]
- Effort: [ESTIMATE]
- Unlocks: [REVENUE/PIPELINE/CUSTOMER VALUE with numbers]
- Requested by: [STAKEHOLDER/CUSTOMERS/BOTH]
- Strategic value: [competitive, retention, expansion, technical debt]
- Risk if we don't: [specific consequence]

Feature 3: [NAME]
- Effort: [ESTIMATE]
- Unlocks: [REVENUE/PIPELINE/CUSTOMER VALUE with numbers]
- Requested by: [STAKEHOLDER/CUSTOMERS/BOTH]
- Strategic value: [competitive, retention, expansion, technical debt]
- Risk if we don't: [specific consequence]

[REPEAT FOR ADDITIONAL FEATURES]

Context:
- Leadership expectation: [wants all / must have X and Y / other pressure]
- Technical dependencies: [any features that unlock/block others]
- [KEY POLITICAL/BUSINESS PRESSURE]

Build a prioritization framework considering revenue impact, technical risk,
strategic positioning, and [OTHER KEY FACTOR]. Recommend with rationale.

Sunset vs. Invest Decision

Feature/product: [NAME]
- Built: [YEAR]
- Current usage: [%] of customers / [ABSOLUTE NUMBER] users
- Revenue impact: [GENERATES $X / COSTS $Y / NEUTRAL]
- Current state: [technical condition, maintenance burden]

Required action: [WHAT NEEDS TO HAPPEN AND WHY - security update, infrastructure
migration, compliance requirement, performance fix]
- Effort required: [TIME/COST]
- Timeline pressure: [deadline or consequence]

OPTIONS:

Option 1: Invest [TIME/MONEY] to [UPDATE/MAINTAIN/REBUILD]
- What this gets us: [extended life, compliance, performance improvement]
- Ongoing maintenance: [future burden]

Option 2: Sunset and migrate users to [ALTERNATIVE]
- Migration path: [how users transition]
- Alternative solution: [what they'd use instead]
- Current adoption of alternative: [%]
- Migration complexity: [effort, risk, customer impact]

Option 3: [MAINTAIN AS-IS/PARTIAL UPDATE/OTHER if applicable]
- Trade-offs: [what we accept, what we risk]

User/stakeholder feedback: [what customers/teams are saying]
Business context: [churn risk, competitive pressure, resource constraints]

Consider customer impact, technical debt, resource efficiency, and strategic
alignment. Recommend with transition plan if applicable.

Competitive Response