Not invented here (NIH) is a term used to describe persistent social, corporate, or institutional culture that avoids using or buying already existing products, research, standards, or knowledge because of their external origins. It is normally used in a pejorative sense, and may be considered an anti-pattern. The reasons for not wanting to use the work of others are varied but can include fear through lack of understanding, an unwillingness to value the work of others, or forming part of a wider "turf war".[1] The opposite culture is sometimes denoted proudly found elsewhere (PFE)[2] or invented here.
As a social phenomenon, "Not Invented Here" syndrome is manifested as an unwillingness to adopt an idea or product because it originates from another culture, a form of nationalism.[3]
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An argument for NIH is to guard against an aggressive action by another company buying up a technology supplier so as to create a captive market.[4] This may also guard against future supply issues due to political unrest or other issues.
In programming, it is also common to refer to the NIH Syndrome as the tendency towards reinventing the wheel (reimplementing something that is already available) based on the belief that in-house developments are inherently better suited, more secure or more controlled than existing implementations.
In late 2009, Bill Barnes (of Unshelved) and Paul Southworth (of Ugly Hill and You Are Dead) launched a webcomic titled "Not Invented Here" which parodies mistakes made in the software development industry such as overly optimistic schedules, improper specifications, interferences from marketing (and other outside sources or departments) and many others. It is drawn from the experiences of Barnes, who worked in software development for two decades.
The Culture novel Excession by Iain M. Banks features a ship called Not Invented Here.[5]
IHBLRIA is a term which is closely matched with NIH, and stands for "Invented Here, But Let's Reinvent It Anyway"; it is the mindset that the previous work of the firm or company is sub-par or otherwise unacceptable, and should be recreated, often from scratch, rather than reused.[6]