Build or Buy

It’s a debate as long as digital publishing has existed: should publishers build their own tech or buy it in from partners? And should they bring in and develop their own talent or outsource to external experts? We explored the arguments on both sides to help you navigate the various options out there should you choose to go down the buy route.

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Post-Event Content

Should publishers build in-house technology and hire talent or buy third party solutions and outsource?

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Denis Haman of Glide on whether publishers should build or buy

Denis Haman, the Executive Director at Glide, was part of the PPA Decodes Build or Buy breakfast briefing on February 9th 2022, sponsored by Sovrn.

Denis is an experienced CEO and CTO with more than two decades of experience in UK publishing, including leading technology at Northern & Shell, News UK and Which?. He has led multiple digital transformations at major publishers and often tackled the question of building or buying.

He now leads Glide, a SaaS content management platform aimed at publishers.

Here he tells us what publishers should be considering when deciding whether to build or buy and what he makes of the question of whether publishers should hire or outsource tech talent.

For more from the PPA Decodes Build or Buy panel, click here.

David Hayter of The Stylist Group on whether publishers should build or buy

David Hayter, the Head of Digital at The Stylist Group, was part of the PPA Decodes Build or Buy breakfast briefing on February 9th 2022, sponsored by Sovrn.

David is an experienced digital and advertising leader with more than 15 years of experience in the publishing industry. He is currently Head of Digital at the Stylist group where he has led a successful strategy of building technology products to advance business capabilities.

Previously, David has held senior roles at Switch Concepts and Blinkx, working with publishers to deliver and implement world-class ad-tech solutions. David has also worked in advertising roles at Racing Post and IPC Media.

Here he tells us what publishers should be considering when deciding whether to build or buy and what he makes of the question of whether publishers should hire or outsource tech talent.

For more from the PPA Decodes Build or Buy panel, click here.

Miriam Keck of City A.M. on whether publishers should build or buy

Miriam Keck, the Digital Director at City A.M., was part of the PPA Decodes Build or Buy breakfast briefing on February 9th 2022, sponsored by Sovrn.

Miriam has been at business news outlet City A.M. for four years and moved into the role of Digital Director in the middle of 2020 after City A.M. became a digital only (and now digital first) business during the pandemic.

In that role she led the replatforming of the site with Wordpress VIP in partnership with development agency 10up. City A.M. previously worked with development teams both in-house and outsourced but Miriam decided to start from scratch with an experienced and high-quality agency, resulting in a site which went live in November 2021 seeing an almost instant spike in traffic and revenues.

Previously Miriam has worked at Conde Nast and AdCompass.

Here she tells us what publishers should be considering when deciding whether to build or buy and what she makes of the question of whether publishers should hire or outsource tech talent.

For more from the PPA Decodes Build or Buy panel, click here.

Sanjay Ravindran of New Statesman Media Group on whether publishers should build or buy

Sanjay Ravindran, the CIO of New Statesman Media Group, was part of the PPA Decodes Build or Buy breakfast briefing on February 9th 2022, sponsored by Sovrn.

Sanjay is a seasoned technology leader with more than 25 years of experience implementing innovative and practical solutions to complex problems across multiple industries including media and financial services.

At NSMG he recently oversaw the launch of a new purpose-built central publishing platform for the group which powered the replatform of the redesigned New Statesman website. Sanjay has also overseen technical delivery at Beano Studios and Freesat as well as working in various senior delivery roles at Channel 4, ITV, Sky and Virgin Money.

Here he tells us what publishers should be considering when deciding whether to build or buy and what he makes of the question of whether publishers should hire or outsource tech talent.

For more from the PPA Decodes Build or Buy panel, click here.