Platform vs. build-it-yourself

85% of data projects fail.
Milemarker has 97% retention.

Before your team commits to building a wealth management data stack, read what the research says. Then look at what happens to the firms that chose Milemarker instead.

130+ integrationsBuilt on SnowflakeSOC 2 Type IILive in weeks

The industry reality

The DIY graveyard is full of good intentions.

Every major research firm studying data infrastructure arrives at the same number. These aren't edge cases.

85%of big data projects failGartner

84%of integration projects fail or partially failBCG / Forbes

88%of business transformations fall short of their original ambitionsBain & Company, 2024

66%of technology projects end in partial or total failureStandish Group, 50K projects

97%client retention rate on MilemarkerMilemarker, 2025

Why Milemarker is different: Every schema, every integration, every data model was designed for wealth management. Not adapted from a generic framework. That's why 97% of firms that activate the platform stay on it.

Common objections

We've heard every reason to build instead of buy.

Here's what the data says about each one.

Building them isn't the problem. Maintaining them is. Every custodian API change, every vendor schema update, every new system you add — your IT team owns that forever. Milemarker maintains 130+ integrations continuously. That's not a project. It's a full-time operation.

18–36 months to functional parity via DIYvs. weeks on Milemarker

Side by side

What you get vs. what you build.

Open any row for the detail behind it.

Milemarker™Purpose-built platform

Custom engineering effortBuild it yourself

130+ live, maintained integrations

Whatever your team can prioritize

Weeks

18–36 months

Pre-built for wealth management schemas

Your problem to solve, every time

Navigator AI ready on activation

Blocked until data is clean and structured

SOC 2 Type II, wealth-management-grade

You architect it. You audit it. Annually.

We own every API change and update

Permanent internal burden

10 advisors to 10,000 — same platform

Re-architect at every growth threshold

97% retention — firms don't leave

No comparable benchmark exists

2026 labour market data

The real cost of a DIY data team.

Sources: Glassdoor (711K+ US responses) · BLS ECEC (employer cost data) · SHRM (turnover cost research)

Data/software engineer (avg. base)Glassdoor, 711K+ US responses, Mar 2026

Milemarker™Included

DIY build$148,676 / yr

Loaded cost per engineer (~1.3× burden)BLS ECEC: benefits ≈ 33% of compensation

Milemarker™Included

DIY build~$193,000 / yr

3-engineer team (loaded)Industry-standard team for 10+ integrations

Milemarker™Included

DIY build~$579,000 / yr

Cloud infrastructure (Snowflake + AWS)Scales with data volume

Milemarker™Included

DIY build$80–150K / yr

API & vendor licensingPer-integration agreements

Milemarker™Included

DIY build$60–100K / yr

Annual security audit & SOC 2Pen testing + compliance attestation

Milemarker™Included

DIY build$50–80K / yr

Engineer turnover (avg. per departure)6–9 months salary; SHRM research

Milemarker™None

DIY build$75–112K / event

Estimated Year 1 totalComposite; excludes productivity loss

Milemarker™One subscription

DIY build$800K–$1.1M+

All figures are based on publicly available data as of March 2026. Loaded cost uses the BLS employer cost ratio. An estimate built from published benchmarks, not a quote.

Your move