The Hidden Cost of Vendor Lock-In: Why AI Infrastructure Choices Matter

Infrastructure lock-in can cost AI startups tens of thousands in unexpected migration expenses and compute overages, yet most founders evaluate vendor choices based on initial terms rather than exit costs. This article demonstrates why vendor due diligence is a survival issue for bootstrapped teams, revealing the true cost of API deprecations, database architecture choices, and platform dependencies. Understanding the true total cost of ownership—including exit costs—is critical for founders to maintain strategic flexibility.