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As we expand our product portfolio, when does it make sense to start building functionality that products that we partner with offer?

Lizzy Masotta
Shopify Senior Product Lead | Formerly Salesforce, Google, Nest, Cisco SystemsMarch 29

I love this question. Through my work at both Salesforce and Shopify this is something that comes up regularly because of our platform and healthy partner ecosystem. 

  1. Do the majority of my users need this?
  2. Are there problems with the partner meeting the needs of users today?
  3. Do we have the expertise and staffing to build this?
  4. Would building this natively unlock new value, new opportunity or a new market?

If the answers to questions 1-3 are yes, then it warrants a discussion with your team. The key question that decides the outcome here is #4. 

Is it worthwhile for you to invest time and resources into building this thing? Does it unlock new value or strategic advantage that you do not have by offering this through a partner?

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