Every mobile team eventually faces this question: do we keep building and maintaining our own release tooling, or do we invest in something purpose-built?
The answer isn't obvious. Some teams have built sophisticated internal platforms and don't regret it. Others spent years maintaining scripts, Slack workflows, and duct-taped CI jobs before realizing the hidden cost. And with AI making it easier than ever to spin up internal tools, the "we'll just build it" instinct is stronger than ever.
In this live discussion, we're bringing together practitioners from teams that have been on both sides of the decision to talk about how they evaluated the options, what the real costs look like, and whether AI actually changes the equation.
We'll cover:
- What "building" release tooling actually means, from a few scripts to a full internal platform
- How to evaluate build vs. buy: resources, control, maintenance, opportunity cost
- How to know if what you've built is actually working, and when it's time to switch
- Whether AI-assisted development changes the calculus or just makes the release layer more critical
If you're a mobile engineering manager, platform lead, or release engineer at a team that's scaling, this one's for you.
