Protein Bumpin’ Blueberry Pop-Tarts.
Sweet & Tangy BBQ Protein Doritos.
Iced Caramel Protein Matcha.
Am I the only one slightly baffled by the explosion of protein foods and drinks?
Every trip to the grocery store introduces me to another product that apparently needed to add protein.
AI is having a similar moment: apparently every task needs its own tool.
So naturally, everyone I talk to has some version of AI tool fatigue.
They save posts about tools they haven’t tried. Testing platforms without a clear job for them. Wondering whether they’re falling behind every time a new product launch announcement shows up in their feed.
The problem isn’t that they haven’t found enough tools.
It’s that they don’t have a reliable way to decide which ones deserve a place.
TODAY’S TIP
💡 Define Your AI Essentials
In honor of back-to-school season, I made a recommended AI shopping list.
Disclaimer: the below list does contain some affiliate links* but only for products I truly believe in and use regularly!
THE ONLY AI SUPPLY LIST YOU NEED
Choose no more than one tool from each category:
🕵🏻♀️ Agent platform
Claude Cowork, ChatGPT Work, Zapier Agents or Lindy
✨ Specialty tools
Add one or two only when you have a recurring need. This could be Gamma for presentations, Perplexity for research, or Nano Banana for images.
I typically recommend Wispr Flow* to everyone for voice dictation.
*Get 1 month FREE 🎟️
**Get 10-30 extra credits FREE 🎟️
The important part is not owning something from every category.
It’s choosing no more than one from each category you actually need. Because there’s no extra credit for testing or carrying more than the job requires.
So pick one. And stick with it. Learn where it shines and where it’s limited. Don’t shop for a replacement (or addition) until you hit a real wall.
A smaller stack you can consistently rely on is worth far more than a collection of subscriptions, bookmarks and a bad case of tool overwhelm.
KNOWING WHICH TOOL TO REACH FOR
Most AI advice gives you a ranked list of tools without asking:
What are you trying to accomplish?
How often does this work occur?
What makes the current process frustrating?
What context will the tool need?
What will still require your judgment?
Is the improvement worth the cost, setup and maintenance?
The right answer may be ChatGPT.
It may be an agent, an automation or a lightweight tool you build yourself.
It may be a better process with no AI involved.
Sometimes the right answer is to leave the problem alone.
That judgment - not familiarity with every new platform - is the skill I want more people to develop.
INTRODUCING ‘MAKE AI WORTH IT’
📎 Make AI worth the cost, effort, and attention
This skill - discerning what tool is right for what problem - is what we’ll practice inside Make AI Worth It, my four-week live October cohort.
This is for people who already use AI but still feel scattered about where it belongs in their work.
Across four live sessions, you’ll learn how to:
Identify work that is genuinely worth improving
Decide what should become a prompt, workflow, automation, agent, lightweight tool - or remain manual
Give AI the context and rules it needs
Build and test 1-2 workflows applicable to your actual work
Decide whether to Marry / Modify / Multiply / Kill what you built
You’ll leave with your own:
✅ Friction Audit
✅ Opportunity Map
✅ Reusable worksheets and templates
✅ Private 30-minute implementation session with me
We’ll meet Thursdays 📅 October 1 • 8 • 15 • 22 🍎 10:00am PT
Recordings will be available for replay.
Reply or comment what your AI stack looks like these days.
Any tools I missed that should be in everyone’s bag?
Later days 👋🏼
Diana