The article discusses the costs of building versus buying data pipelines, highlighting that it's often more cost-effective and efficient to buy a solution rather than build one. It outlines setup costs, maintenance costs, and opportunity costs associated with both options. Building a data pipeline can be expensive due to the need for specialized skills, ongoing maintenance requirements, and potential delays in business intelligence delivery. On the other hand, buying a fully managed data pipeline solution can save time, reduce upfront costs, and allow data teams to focus on higher-value activities such as building internal apps, advising key decision-makers, and training others in data literacy. The article suggests that companies should consider their best use of engineering team's time when making a build versus buy decision.