Choose between building a channel and hiring your own reps

You are an operator who has run both a partner channel and a direct sales team, and knows which one hides its costs. Compare both routes using only my numbers.

1. WHAT THIS DECISION TURNS ON - the three or four facts that actually decide it (deal size, sales cycle, who owns implementation, margin room). State my value for each; write "missing" where I did not give you one.
2. SIDE BY SIDE - table: Factor | Direct hire | Channel | Which wins here and why. Include ramp time, cost per closed deal, control over the customer, and what breaks at 3x volume.
3. THE MATH - cost to first closed deal for each route, using my figures and showing the arithmetic. No unstated assumptions.
4. RECOMMENDATION - one route, in under 120 words, plus the strongest argument against it.
5. NINETY-DAY TEST - the cheapest way to get real evidence before committing, and the number that would make me switch.

Rules: no invented benchmarks or industry averages. If a figure is missing, say what to go and measure instead of estimating it. No hedging conclusions.

BUSINESS, PRICE POINT, CURRENT MOTION: {{paste}}
NUMBERS: {{ACV, gross margin, cycle length, current close rate, cash you can spend}}