Issue No. 1 — The Stack

My
Toolkit

The tools I use daily, organized by the problems they help me solve. I'm always experimenting, but these are the ones that stuck.

The AI companions that help me think

Thinking & Reasoning

When I need to think through complex problems, write clearly, or brainstorm.

Top Pick

Claude

My thinking partner. Best for nuanced reasoning, writing, and complex problem-solving.

How I use it: Strategy docs, code review, brainstorming product decisions.

ChatGPT

Great for quick answers, data analysis, and creative exploration.

How I use it: Research, data formatting, quick prototypes.

Gemini

Google's multimodal AI. Great for image understanding and research.

How I use it: Analyzing visuals, research deep dives, code assistance.

Perplexity

AI-powered search with citations. Great for research that needs sources.

How I use it: Fact-checking, deep research, getting grounded answers.

OpenAI Platform

The API behind it all. Build with GPT, DALL-E, Whisper, and more.

How I use it: API integrations, fine-tuning, building AI-powered features.

From idea to production in record time

Building & Shipping

When I need to turn ideas into working software, fast.

Top Pick

Lovable

Ship full-stack apps by describing what I want. Game-changer for speed.

How I use it: Building MVPs, side projects, and internal tools without the boilerplate.

VS Code

The editor. Extensions make it infinitely customizable.

How I use it: All my coding when I need full control.

Cursor

AI-native code editor. Like VS Code but with AI baked in from the start.

How I use it: Complex refactors, code generation, when I want AI deeply integrated.

GitHub

Source of truth for code. Actions, PRs, and collaboration in one place.

How I use it: Version control, CI/CD, open source contributions.

Vercel

Deploy in seconds. Preview deployments changed how I ship.

How I use it: Hosting all my Next.js and React projects.

Supabase

Postgres + Auth + Realtime in one. The Firebase alternative I actually like.

How I use it: Database, auth, and edge functions for most projects.

Firebase Studio

Full-stack prototyping with AI. Quick to experiment.

How I use it: Rapid prototypes, testing ideas before committing.

Payload

Headless CMS that's actually developer-friendly. Full control over data.

How I use it: Content management for sites that need structure.

Making ideas visible and beautiful

Design & Visual

When I need to create visuals, design interfaces, or build beautiful sites.

Top Pick

Miro

Visual thinking at scale. Best for workshops, mapping, and async collaboration.

How I use it: User journey maps, brainstorming sessions, stakeholder alignment.

Figma

The industry standard for UI design. Real-time collaboration is unmatched.

How I use it: Interface design, prototypes, design systems, and handoffs.

Framer

Design and ship beautiful sites without code.

How I use it: Marketing pages, portfolios, quick landing pages.

Midjourney

AI image generation that actually looks good. Artistic and stylized.

How I use it: Hero images, concept art, visual exploration.

Canva

Quick, polished visuals without needing Figma for everything.

How I use it: Social graphics, presentations, pitch decks.

Visual inspiration and mood boarding. Endless ideas.

How I use it: Collecting design inspiration, exploring aesthetics.

Squarespace

Polished templates for non-technical sites.

How I use it: Client sites that need minimal maintenance.

Webflow

The power of code without writing it. CMS included.

How I use it: Marketing sites, blogs, anything content-heavy.

Words that connect and convert

Writing & Communication

When I need to write, share ideas, or communicate async.

Top Pick

Medium

Where I share long-form thinking. Built-in audience.

How I use it: Publishing frameworks, case studies, and lessons learned.

Substack

Newsletter platform with built-in audience. Own your relationship with readers.

How I use it: Publishing newsletters, building a subscriber base, monetizing writing.

Google Docs

Real-time collaboration without version conflicts.

How I use it: Drafts, proposals, anything that needs multiple editors.

Vidyard

Async video that tracks engagement. Know exactly who watched what.

How I use it: Sales outreach, product demos, stakeholder updates.

Google Slides

Clean presentations with easy collaboration.

How I use it: Pitch decks, internal presentations, workshops.

Let machines do the heavy lifting

Data & Automation

When I need to collect, analyze, or automate with data.

Top Pick

Marblism

AI employees that actually work. Handles the repetitive stuff so I don't have to.

How I use it: SEO strategy and blog writing, social media management and strategy, cold outreach for lead gen.

Make

More powerful than Zapier for complex automations. Visual workflow builder.

How I use it: Multi-step automations, data transformations, API integrations.

Zapier

No-code automation between apps. Connect anything to anything.

How I use it: Automating workflows, syncing data, triggering actions.

Airtable

Spreadsheet-database hybrid. Relational data without SQL.

How I use it: Project tracking, content calendars, CRM-lite setups.

Firecrawl

Web scraping that actually works. LLM-ready output.

How I use it: Extracting data from websites for research and automation.

Apify

Pre-built scrapers and actors for complex automation.

How I use it: Lead generation, data collection, scheduled tasks.

Google Sheets

Spreadsheets with superpowers. Scripts and integrations galore.

How I use it: Financial models, tracking, quick databases.

The backend of running a business

Business Operations

When I need to run the business side—finances, legal, payments.

Top Pick

Stripe

The gold standard for payments. Docs are incredible.

How I use it: All payment processing, subscriptions, invoicing.

Gumroad

Sell digital products in minutes. No store setup needed.

How I use it: Selling ebooks, templates, courses, digital downloads.

Calendly

Scheduling without the back-and-forth. Just works.

How I use it: Meeting scheduling, sales calls, consultations.

Bluevine

Business banking built for startups. High-yield checking, no BS.

How I use it: All business finances, payroll, expense tracking.

LegalZoom

Made forming an LLC painless. Ongoing compliance handled.

How I use it: Business formation, registered agent, annual reports.

Resend

Email API that doesn't make me hate sending emails.

How I use it: Transactional emails, newsletters, notifications.

A place for everything

Organization & Storage

When I need to keep everything organized and accessible.

Top Pick

Notion

My second brain. Everything lives here—notes, project plans, meeting docs.

How I use it: Daily for capturing ideas, weekly reviews, and long-term planning.

Slack

Team communication hub. Channels keep things organized.

How I use it: Team chat, integrations, async collaboration.

Quick personal and business messaging. End-to-end encrypted.

How I use it: Personal comms, quick client check-ins, group coordination.

Chrome

The browser. Extensions and dev tools are unmatched.

How I use it: Daily browsing, development, testing, extensions.

Google Drive

Cloud storage that just works. Integrates with everything.

How I use it: File storage, sharing, backup for all projects.

Communities for everything. Unfiltered opinions and niche knowledge.

How I use it: Product research, community feedback, staying on top of trends.

A Note on Tools

"
I don't chase every new tool. Instead, I look for tools that reduce friction in my actual workflow—not tools that promise to change everything.

The best tools disappear. They let you focus on the work, not the process. If I'm thinking about a tool while using it, it's probably not the right one.

The goal isn't to have the best tools. It's to do your best work.

MyToolkit

Thinking & Reasoning

Claude

ChatGPT

Gemini

Perplexity

OpenAI Platform

Building & Shipping

Lovable

VS Code

Cursor

GitHub

Vercel

Supabase

Firebase Studio

Payload

Design & Visual

Miro

Figma

Framer

Midjourney

Canva

Pinterest

Squarespace

Webflow

Writing & Communication

Medium

Substack

Google Docs

Vidyard

Google Slides

Data & Automation

Marblism

Make

Zapier

Airtable

Firecrawl

Apify

Google Sheets

Business Operations

Stripe

Gumroad

Calendly

Bluevine

LegalZoom

Resend

Organization & Storage

Notion

Slack

WhatsApp

Chrome

Google Drive

Reddit

My
Toolkit