Tools

The no-bullshit toolbox.

For each tool: what it's for, when it's worth it, its limits, and a real-world take. Updated regularly.

ChatGPT

OpenAI's general-purpose assistant: writing, analysis, code generation and content prep.

Use cases

• Writing and rewriting
• Document summarisation
• Interview prep
• Code assistance

For who

All profiles. A great entry point to AI for SMBs.

Pros

Highly versatile
Mature ecosystem (GPTs, plugins)
Enterprise tier available

Limits

Sensitive data needs guardrails
Quality depends on prompting
Cost adds up at scale

My take

Best value to get started. Set up usage guidelines and a team plan once daily use kicks in.

Claude

Anthropic's assistant, strong on long documents and structured reasoning.

Use cases

• Long document analysis
• Long-form structured writing
• Contract review
• Decision support

For who

Legal, HR, leadership and text-heavy teams.

Pros

Excellent long-context handling
Nuanced answers
Safety-first design

Limits

Fewer mainstream integrations
Not always the fastest

My take

My first pick for document reading and structured reasoning.

Gemini

Google's AI, integrated across Workspace (Gmail, Docs, Meet, Sheets).

Use cases

• Meet meeting summaries
• Docs / Gmail writing
• Sheets analysis

For who

Companies already on Google Workspace.

Pros

Native Workspace integration
Solid privacy framing
Good enterprise value

Limits

Limited value outside Workspace
Quality varies across models

My take

Worth it only if you're already on Workspace; otherwise ChatGPT or Claude stay more versatile.

Make

Automation

Visual no-code automation to orchestrate workflows between tools.

Use cases

• CRM ↔ tool sync
• Automated email sending
• Ticket creation
• Multi-step workflows

For who

SMBs that want to industrialise flows without hiring a developer.

Pros

Visual and readable
Excellent value
Large module catalogue

Limits

Limits on very large scenarios
Initial learning curve

My take

Best compromise to seriously start automation at SMB scale.

n8n

Automation

Open-source, self-hostable automation — very flexible.

Use cases

• Workflows with sensitive data
• Custom integrations
• AI agent orchestration

For who

Technical teams or SMBs with data sovereignty constraints.

Pros

Self-hostable
Very flexible (code + no-code)
Active community

Limits

Requires technical skills
Maintenance if self-hosted

My take

Excellent once you have a technical team. Also great for orchestrating AI agents.

Zapier

Automation

The no-code automation pioneer — very accessible.

Use cases

• Simple 1→1 workflows
• Connect two SaaS tools quickly

For who

First steps in automation or very simple needs.

Pros

Very easy to use
Massive integration catalogue

Limits

Cost rises quickly
Less powerful than Make or n8n on complex flows

My take

Useful for the very first steps; Make becomes more cost-effective fast.

HubSpot

CRM

All-in-one CRM platform (sales, marketing, support).

Use cases

• Sales tracking
• Marketing automation
• Customer support
• Unified reporting

For who

Growing SMBs needing a complete CRM quickly.

Pros

Great UX
Complete ecosystem
Usable free tier

Limits

Pricing escalates
Progressive lock-in

My take

Market reference. Watch the cost as teams grow.

Notion

Productivity

Documentation, project and knowledge base tool.

Use cases

• Internal wiki
• Project management
• Lightweight databases
• Product documentation

For who

Teams looking for a unified workspace.

Pros

Very flexible
Good team adoption
Built-in AI

Limits

Performance on very large workspaces
Can become a dumping ground without structure

My take

Excellent — provided you set up a real structure from day one.

Next step

Turn your tools into performance levers.

A 30-minute call to identify automation, optimisation and AI opportunities tailored to your business.

What you walk away with

Your main friction points clearly identified
Priority automation opportunities
AI use cases relevant to your activity
Concrete, no-nonsense recommendations

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