# The €50k Threshold
Source: https://humanspark.ai/frameworks/fifty-k-threshold/

*Only build custom if the problem costs more than this to solve by hand.*

**When to use:** Whenever someone is tempted into a bespoke build. Most ideas will not clear it.

← Buy or retrofit

Build custom →

€50k / yr

~€25k

startups

€50k

rule of thumb

€100k+

larger firms

Add the direct, opportunity and error costs of doing the task by hand. **If they don't clear the threshold, a bespoke build is a science experiment** - buy or retrofit instead.