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WHY 90% of AI tools are noise (and the 10% that are not) HOOK
You are not mistaken in thinking that every time you turn your head around, a new AI tool is released. However, this is the awkward reality: the vast majority of them are shinning distractions in disguise and are called productivity.
THE REALITY CHECK
I have recently read an article titled AI Productivity Tools, which promised some life-altering results. After 20 minutes, I have understood that all the tools performed exactly the same task - only using different icons and slightly varying tint of blue.
Sound familiar?
We're drowning in AI noise. Dashboard applications which produce the same summaries. The writing tools are all based on the same models. Automation applications that achieve nothing that you really require.
But... buried in this mess are some instruments which actually move the needle.
This newsletter is on how to separate the signal and the noise - to no longer waste time tool shopping, but rather to use the ones that do create leverage.
WHY we ended up with the Fatigue of the AI Tools.
The problem was generated by two forces:
LOW BARRIERS = MILLIONS of Clones.
Once any person can put an LLM in a UI and refer to it as a “tool," you will have 50 ChatGPT reskinned clones before lunch.
THE "THIS WILL CHANGE Your life" LOOP of Marketing.
Founders understand that people desire short cuts. So every tool promises:
"10x productivity!"
Automate your whole business!
"Never work again!"
It's hype with no horsepower.
That is why you have already likely used dozens of tools... But not many more than two or three were able to cling.
WHAT MAKES THE 90% USELESS? they do not solve a real problem.
Unless a tool will eliminate a pain point that you already experience, then it is mere ornament.
They introduce more procedures than they take away.
An anti-productivity tool is a productivity tool that will add more clicks.
theirs are features, not products.
A single ChatGPT prompt would be able to replace most of the tools.
they fail when subjected to actual work.
Looks cool in a demo. Breaks down when you want it to examine 200 emails or deal with messy data.
they do not build up the value of compounds.
The finest tools will serve to improve you each time you use them. The loud ones make you lose the reason of downloading them.
SO WHAT ABOUT THE 10% THAT MATTER?
These tools have the following characteristics:
THEY save you time and then and there.
You take them once and see the difference.
THEY REDUCE FRICTION
Not more dashboards. Not more steps. Just... smoother.
THEY SCALE WITH YOU
Your needs increase--they increase with you.
THEY CREATE LEVERAGE
They assist you to do the task of 3 individuals without being overwhelmed with details.
THE 10%: AI Tools that are Worth Caring About.
These are the brief list of categories that will always provide real-life value.
AI SEARCH & RESEARCH
These slice through the information overload, summarizing, clustering and finding insights on a large scale. They are the antithesis of hype - they lighten knowledge.
Examples:
Products that convert lengthy PDFs into meaningful information.
Search engines that are analysing rather than listing links.
Brain assistants which become your second brain.
Provided you read, write or think, then this is a non-negotiable category.
AGENT-STYLE AUTOMATION
Just do not forget to click here to create an email. The following are systems which really do multi-step work:
Scraping
Cleaning
Drafting
Uploading
Updating
Scheduling
An excellent agent takes the place of part-time intern. An excellent agent will be a substitute of a full time one.
WORKFLOW OPERATING SYSTEMS
Places that make your tools talk, automate your monotonous tasks, and get your work going in the background.
They reduce chaos. They create structure. Their liberation sets your mind off to think rather than work on things.
CONTENT COMPANIONS
Not the bots that write basic stuff - that is commodity. I mean those tools that can assist you in devising ideas, not merely words. Brainstorming, outlining, repurposing and tone-analyzing tools.
The difference? One replaces typing. The other replaces thinking.
BUILDERS & NO-CODE AI SYSTEMS
These applications enable you to build your own AI workflow without a degree in CS. Your own bots. Your own data. Your own rules. Your own automation.
This is the location of real leverage.
Training on High-Value Tools: HOW to spot a high-value tool in 20 seconds.
Quickly filter by this and you will never spend another hour tool hopping.
Does it eliminate some bottleneck that you are already experiencing?
If yes - keep exploring. If no - discard immediately.
Makes fewer not more steps?
Any friction = disqualified.
Does it take less than 5 minutes to save you time?
You can not feel an immediate win in your hands it is not a keeper.
Do you spend money to save the time?
In the event of the answer being no, the tool is a toy.
Is it something that substitutes or augments something that you do on a daily basis?
Dust collectors are tools that are kept at the corner.
Tips applicable in practical use today. Use no more than 3 fundamental AI tools.
All other things have to be in defense of their existence.
Create a "tool test."
Allow every new tool 48 hours to deliver. No results? Delete it.
As a system of buildings, not a building collection.
The most suitable arrangement is plain, predictable and un- interesting. Boring gets results.
No searching after the right tool.
It does not matter what is in your stack; it matters what you actually do.
The bulk of AI tools are noisy, eye-catching, and unforgettable. The ones that count make your life a little more silent, a little faster and a little easier.
Shoppers are adding to cart for the holidays
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