Essential Starter Kit

Recommended AI Tools

None of these tools are sponsored. These are simply tools we use and believe can provide immediate value for anybody looking to get started with AI.

DeepLearning.ai

DeepLearning.AI

DeepLearning.AI is "an education technology company that is empowering the global workforce to build an AI-powered future through world-class education, hands-on training, and a collaborative community." This can be a game changer for those who commit to learning and solving problems using AI.

Claude

Claude

Smart assistant for complex reasoning, planning, and problem-solving. Handles nuanced conversations and multi-step tasks reliably.

ChatGPT

ChatGPT

Well-rounded AI assistant with strong image generation capabilities. Creates custom visuals from text descriptions.

Perplexity

Perplexity

Research-focused AI that provides answers with cited sources. Saves time by finding and summarizing information from across the web.

NotebookLM

NotebookLM

Helps you understand large amounts of information from PDFs, websites, and YouTube videos. Turns your documents into an interactive knowledge base.

Notion

Notion

Productivity platform with AI features built in. Organize projects, collaborate with teams, and use AI to write, summarize, and analyze your content.

Recommended Approach

Base Toolkit + Rapid Learning

Consider the following:

  • There are already more tools available than you can possibly use
  • The pace of new tool development is lightning fast (and accelerating)
  • Many specialized tools may become obsolete as foundation models improve

Given these realities, it's helpful to develop a three-part approach:

  1. Maintain a core go-to toolkit (a handful of tools you know exceptionally well)
  2. Stay loosely aware of what else exists (which can be as simple as asking Perplexity if any tools solve your specific problem)
  3. Focus on developing the ability to learn new tools quickly rather than trying to master everything

When you hit a problem:

  1. Work with your core tools first - try different approaches and prompts
  2. Reach for specialized tools when you're genuinely stuck
  3. Use your core toolkit to research alternatives: "I tried general AI assistants for [problem] but need something more specialized. What tools are best for this?"