Build vs. Buy

searcher profile

July 08, 2025

by a searcher from London School of Economics and Political Science, University of London in London, UK

Interested to hear some real case studies and personal experiences of searchers who decided to go a different route -> building from scratch vs. trying to get a deal over the line. Acquisitions of established companies have obvious upsides, but at times it feels like spending the same amount of time building vs. searching might be more effective.
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commentor profile
Reply by a searcher
from University of Oxford in London, UK
Curious to hear if anyone is pursuing both in parallel. M&A is a feast or famine game - it can take years to come across an attractive target with an equally attractive valuation. Building something from scratch in parallel helps get you part-way there while you're looking for the right business to buy, and builds your credibility with vendors and investors.
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Reply by a searcher
from University of Georgia in St. Louis, MO, USA
I bought a company, had it crash and burn (thanks, Covid...) and then built on the bones of the old company. Here's a podcast telling the story: https://acquiringminds.co/articles/scott-alexander-jairus-marketing Overall, I think building is harder than buying an existing business. We had a really good premise for the business and all the resources needed to make it happen. I think starting from scratch would be more difficult still.
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