Tools of the trade
Tools don't fix operations — but the right tool, chosen for the actual constraint, keeps a system cheap, reliable, and maintainable. Here's what I reach for and when. For tool-specific engagements, see the n8n, Make.com, Zapier, and GoHighLevel pages.
Claude by default; whatever the constraint demands in practice.
For building agents that plan, use tools, and get evaluated.
Chosen per workflow — volume, complexity, and who maintains it.
Serverless-first; long-running work goes where it belongs.
Boring, proven databases. Vector search where retrieval earns it.
Fast, indexable sites wired into the systems behind them.
How tools get picked
- Volume and cost curves first — per-task pricing changes the answer at scale
- Who maintains it: the best tool is one your team can actually operate
- Failure behavior: silent failure disqualifies a tool for critical paths
- Data constraints: residency and compliance can force self-hosting
- Boring beats novel — proven infrastructure wins ties every time
Talk about your stack
Bring your current tool list to a call — I'll tell you what to keep, what to connect, and what's quietly costing you.
30 minutes · no pitch deck · reply within 24h if you write instead