AI Tool Stack
What to use, what to skip, and how to set it up — the five-layer stack that gives you a useful AI setup without wasting money.
1. Start here
Most people build their AI setup backwards: see a new tool, sign up, test it once, forget it exists — and wonder why AI feels scattered. That's not an AI stack; that's a drawer full of subscriptions.
Your stack should be a small operating system for thinking, researching, saving, producing, and eventually automating repeat work. The goal isn't the most tools — it's the fewest tools that help you do real work.
2. The five-layer stack
Every useful AI setup has five layers: an Assistant (one serious AI chat tool for thinking, drafting, planning), Research (AI search with citations for finding and verifying sources), a Workspace (one place to save notes, prompts, files, and decisions), Execution (the work apps you already use — email, docs, sheets, calendar), and Automation (Zapier, Make, or n8n — added last, only for proven repeat steps).
3. When to pay, when to skip
Before subscribing to any AI tool, write down what repeat work it improves. If you can't name it, skip it. The guide includes the starting-from-zero setup, the monthly stack audit, and the rule for when a free tier stops being enough.