1.1.2. The Build vs. Buy Spectrum

💡 First Principle: Every data engineering decision falls somewhere on a spectrum from "build custom" to "use managed services." Building gives you control but costs time and expertise. Managed services give you speed but constrain your options. There is no universally correct position—only trade-offs appropriate to your context.

Microsoft Fabric sits firmly in the "managed services" category. The exam tests your ability to work within Fabric's constraints, not around them.

⚠️ Exam Trap: The exam rarely presents "write custom code" as the correct answer when a Fabric-native solution exists. If Fabric can do something out-of-the-box, that's almost always the right answer—even if custom code would be more flexible.