When designing LoRaWAN and IoT systems, hardware decisions can make or break your project. Should you buy off-the-shelf, modify existing designs, or build custom hardware? In this talk, we’ll discuss MCCI's experience, based on real-world deployments. We’ll explore trade-offs in cost, time-to-market, flexibility, and long-term scalability, and show how open-source solutions can bridge the gap between speed and customization. Attendees will leave with concrete insights to help choose the right hardware strategy for their next IoT project, whether it’s a quick prototype or a global rollout.