Build it, buy it, or rent it?
Put each option in dollars before you decide. Score one idea in the free calculator with no signup. A free account lets you compare all three side by side.
Free during beta. No card.
Built by Gideon Lahav, founder of Cookie Tech.
Illustrative example, not client results
Ranked by NPV
- 01$1.24M
AI-assisted onboarding
RICE 84 · 6 wks - 02$610k
Team seats & roles
RICE 62 · 4 wks - 03$185k
SSO / SAML
RICE 31 · 8 wks - 04-$42k
In-app changelog
RICE 12 · 3 wks
Portfolio NPV
+$1.99M
Examples
Three examples
Illustrative figures, not client results. The RICE scores and ship or hold labels are examples only. The calculator does not compute RICE.
Growth · B2B
shipAuth SSO for enterprise
- Annual lift
- $180k/yr
- Build cost
- $45k
- 3-yr NPV at 10%
- +$403k
- RICE (example)
- 38
Open in calculator
Activation
shipOnboarding v2 with checklist
- Annual lift
- $95k/yr
- Build cost
- $28k
- 3-yr NPV at 10%
- +$208k
- RICE (example)
- 24
Open in calculator
Platform
holdMigrate legacy infra
- Annual lift
- $40k/yr
- Build cost
- $120k
- 3-yr NPV at 10%
- -$21k
- RICE (example)
- 6
Open in calculator
NPV counts later money for less than money today.
Every option scored in dollars, discounted at your cost of capital
Build, buy or rent, compared side by side
Saved scenarios you can come back to
Who it is for
Who it is for
Founders and business owners who have to decide: build the software, buy it, or rent it as a service (SaaS). You may have a quote from a developer, a vendor's price list and a spreadsheet that does not settle it.
Product leaders who have to defend a roadmap in money can use it too.
ROI calculator
NPV for every option
Plug in the cost, the expected yearly benefit and the time horizon. Road map ROI computes the NPV at your discount rate, and shows the formula.
Prioritization
Score every idea the same way
Every item is scored on the same inputs, so the ranking changes when the numbers change, not when the loudest voice does.
Build vs Buy
Build, buy or rent, side by side
Compare the three paths with the maintenance cost included, so the cheapest quote is not mistaken for the cheapest option.
Frameworks
The frameworks behind every score here
Each one comes with the formula, the inputs and when to use it.
Framework
Minto Pyramid for Product Roadmaps
Lead with the answer. Defend it with grouped evidence.
Read the guide→Framework
FVI Product Prioritization
Score every initiative the same way. Stop arguing about priority.
Read the guide→Framework
Marginal Cost of Software Squads
Know exactly what the next squad costs before you hire it.
Read the guide→Framework
SCQA Board Presentation Framework
Stop opening with 'Q3 update.' Open with the tension.
Read the guide→Framework
Build vs Buy vs Rent Decision Framework
Stop deciding build-vs-buy on gut feel. Run the NPV.
Read the guide→Framework
RICE vs FVI: Product Prioritization Compared
RICE got you to a ranked list. FVI gets you a number finance will defend.
Read the guide→Framework
RICE Prioritization Framework
Reach, Impact, Confidence, Effort. One score, one ranked backlog.
Read the guide→Framework
Cost of Delay & WSJF Prioritization Guide
Every week you don't ship this, you're paying for it. Price the wait.
Read the guide→Framework
RICE vs ICE
Two quick scoring models. Pick the one that fits the decision.
Read the guide→Framework
Kano Model Guide
Classify features by how customers react to having them, or not.
Read the guide→How it works
How it works
01
Enter what you know
The cost, the benefit you expect each year, and how many years it runs. Rough numbers are fine.
02
See it in net present value
Money that arrives later is worth less than money today, so we discount it. You set the discount rate.
03
Compare and save
Create a free account to compare building, buying and renting. Save the scenario and come back to it.
Free during beta
Road map ROI is free while we learn what people need from it. There is no paid plan and no card. If that ever changes, we will say so on the pricing page first.
See what is includedFAQ
Frequently asked questions
Put the decision in dollars first.
Score one idea in the free calculator, then create a free account to compare and save.