Executive Summary In today’s fast-paced, technology-driven marketplace, companies must be prepared to scale quickly and efficiently. This is particularly critical for early-stage or growth-stage companies, as performance is often measured against specific benchmarks such as enterprise valuation. The use of existing systems, when weighed against the opportunity to pursue a long-term solution from the start, may be considered the analog of the mature-stage company’s “build or buy” decision-making process. A number of decision parameters are transferable, and the risks and potential ROIs are quite similar. Starting with a scalable technology platform is not just an IT decision; it is a