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Episode 11 · Nov 5, 2025

Justin Fredlender on the ‘Build vs. Buy’ Dilemma Every Commerce Operator Must Face

Justin Fredlender · formerly VP of Growth, Ritual

Justin Fredlender argues that growth stopped being a marketing-channel problem and became an organizational one. He walks through his framework for deciding what to build versus buy, why "internal stewardship" matters more than technical prowess, and why declining purchasing power and digitally native competition now demand real coordination across brand, ops, and consumer insights.