Pick your core business competencies and goals, and do those in house. If you’re a software company, writing excellent code is how you’re going to succeed. Go ahead and outsource the company cafeteria and the CD-ROM duplication. If you’re a pharmaceutical company, write software for drug research, but don’t write your own accounting package. If you’re a web accounting service, write your own accounting package, but don’t try to create your own magazine ads. If you have customers, never outsource customer service.
Joel Spolsky, In Defense of Not-Invented-Here Syndrome
A classic worth re-reading every once in awhile. So much of Joel’s advice still rings true despite its age.
