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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+ Integrations

Built on Snowflake

SOC 2 Type II

Live 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 fail

Gartner

84%

of integration projects fail or partially fail

BCG / Forbes

88%

of business transformations fail to achieve original ambitions

Bain & Company, 2024

66%

of technology projects end in partial or total failure

Standish Group, 50K projects

97%

client retention rate on Milemarker

Milemarker, 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.

"Our IT team can build the integrations."

−

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

"We already have Snowflake. We just need to connect it."

Tap to see the data →

"It's cheaper to build than to subscribe."

Tap to see the data →

"We want full control over our data stack."

Tap to see the data →

"We'll get to it next quarter."

Tap to see the data →

Side-by-Side

What you get vs. what you build.

Tap any row to expand the detail.

Milemarker™

Purpose-Built Platform

Custom Engineering Effort

Build It Yourself

Integration Coverage

details ▼

✓130+ live, maintained integrations

✕Whatever your team can prioritize

Time to First Insight

details ▼

✓Weeks

✕18–36 months

Data Normalization

details ▼

✓Pre-built for wealth management schemas

✕Your problem to solve, every time

AI Readiness

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✓Navigator AI ready on activation

✕Blocked until data is clean and structured

Compliance & Security

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✓SOC 2 Type II, wealth-management-grade

✕You architect it. You audit it. Annually.

Ongoing Maintenance

details ▼

✓We own every API change and update

✕Permanent internal burden

Scalability

details ▼

✓10 advisors to 10,000 — same platform

✕Re-architect at every growth threshold

Client Retention Signal

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✓97% retention — firms don't leave

✕No comparable benchmark exists

2026 Labor Market Data

The real cost of a DIY data team.

Sources: Glassdoor (711K+ US responses, March 2026) · BLS ECEC (employer cost data) · SHRM (turnover cost research)

Cost Item	Milemarker™	DIY Build	Notes
Data/software engineer (avg. base)	Included	$148,676 / yr	Glassdoor, 711K+ US responses, Mar 2026
Loaded cost per engineer (~1.3× burden)	Included	~$193,000 / yr	BLS ECEC: benefits ≈ 33% of compensation
3-engineer team (loaded)	Included	~$579,000 / yr	Industry-standard team for 10+ integrations
Cloud infrastructure (Snowflake + AWS)	Included	$80–150K / yr	Scales with data volume
API & vendor licensing	Included	$60–100K / yr	Per-integration agreements
Annual security audit & SOC 2	Included	$50–80K / yr	Pen testing + compliance attestation
Engineer turnover (avg. per departure)	None	$75–112K / event	6–9 months salary; SHRM research
Estimated Year 1 total	One subscription	$800K–$1.1M+	Composite; excludes productivity loss