The Solo Stack: Every Tool Behind My One-Person Business
From AI assistants to automation tools to cameras and microphones—this is everything I use to run my business in 2026, organized by category with alternatives, equipment recommendations & more.
My Annual Tech Stack Tradition
Every year at the beginning of the year, I love sharing my complete tech stack with you. It’s become one of my favorite traditions—a transparent look at exactly what tools are actually running my business.
Last year, I was just launching this Substack, so I created a full YouTube video walking through everything. This year, I’ve decided to switch to this written format instead. The list is pretty self-explanatory, and this way you can bookmark it, search it, and reference it whenever you need.
Note: The full detailed list with all 99+ tools, website links, and equipment recommendations is available to paid subscribers. Paid subscribers also get access to monthly Notion Office Hours where we can discuss systems, workflows, and optimization strategies together.
I get asked all the time: “What tools do you use to run your business?”
So here it is. The complete, unfiltered breakdown of my 2026 tech stack. Not the aspirational version. Not the “I tried it once” version. These are the 99+ tools I genuinely use to create content, manage my business, stay organized, and keep my ADHD brain on track.
I’ve organized everything by category, and for each tool I’m sharing why I use it, what alternatives exist, and why I picked this one over the others.
Let’s dive in.
Content Creation & Design
Canva
Platform: Website + Desktop App + Mobile App
Website: canva.com
Cost: $120/year $ (Canva Pro)
Why I use it: My main design tool for social media posts, presentations, thumbnails, and graphics. The templates are fantastic and the learning curve is minimal.
Alternatives: Adobe Creative Suite, Figma, Affinity Designer
Why I picked it: It’s fast, intuitive, and has templates for literally everything. The Pro version gives me brand kits, background remover, and unlimited storage.
CapCut
Platform: Desktop App + Mobile App
Website: capcut.com
Cost: $20/month $ (Pro)
Why I use it: Video and audio editing on my phone and computer. I use it for quick video edits, adding captions, creating short-form content, and editing my podcast episodes including audio editing.
Alternatives: Adobe Premiere, Final Cut Pro, DaVinci Resolve, iMovie, Audacity (audio only)
Why I picked it: It’s free, surprisingly powerful, and perfect for both the short-form content I create for TikTok and Instagram and for podcast editing. Having both video and audio editing in one tool streamlines my workflow.
OBS (Open Broadcaster Software)
Platform: Desktop App
Website: obsproject.com
Cost: Free
Why I use it: Free and open-source software for recording and streaming videos.
Alternatives: Streamlabs, XSplit, Ecamm Live, Loom
Why I picked it: It’s completely free, endlessly customizable, and the standard for streaming and recording. I use it for my YouTube channel.
Handbrake
Platform: Desktop App
Website: handbrake.fr
Cost: Free
Why I use it: Converts video files between different formats. Essential for optimizing file sizes.
Alternatives: VLC, Adobe Media Encoder
Why I picked it: Free, open-source, and does exactly what I need without bloat.
Cricut Design Space
Platform: Website + Desktop App + Mobile App
Website: design.cricut.com
Cost: Free
Why I use it: Design and layout projects for my Cricut machine—stickers, labels, craft projects.
Alternatives: Silhouette Studio
Why I picked it: It’s the official software for Cricut machines, so it has the best integration.
AI & Writing Assistants
Notion AI
Platform: Website + Desktop App + Mobile App (integrated into Notion)
Website: notion.so/product/ai
Cost: Covered as a Notion Ambassador (otherwise about $20/month)
Why I use it: Notion AI has become my primary AI assistant since it’s built right into where I’m already working. I use it for brainstorming, outlining, drafting content, and editing—all without leaving my workspace.
Alternatives: ChatGPT, Claude, Jasper, Copy.ai
Why I picked it: It’s seamlessly integrated into my entire Notion workspace. I can generate content, summarize notes, and get writing assistance right inside my pages and databases. I still use ChatGPT and Gemini occasionally for specific tasks, but Notion AI handles 90% of my AI needs now.
Gamma
Platform: Website
Website: gamma.app
Cost: Free + Pro plans
Why I use it: AI-assisted presentations and visual documents. I can create beautiful decks in minutes instead of hours.
Alternatives: Canva, PowerPoint, Keynote, Beautiful.ai
Why I picked it: The AI does the heavy lifting on design and layout. I just provide content and it creates presentation-ready slides.
Project Management & Organization
Notion
Platform: Website + Desktop App + Mobile App
Website: notion.so
Cost: Free + Paid plans (I use paid)
Why I use it: Notion is my entire operating system. It’s where I manage projects, track content, build databases, and organize literally everything. The flexibility is unmatched—I can create custom dashboards, link databases together, and build systems that actually work for my ADHD brain.
Alternatives: ClickUp, Asana, Monday.com, Coda, Trello, Airtable
Why I picked it: The database functionality and customization options are unparalleled. I can create relational databases, custom views, and automation that other tools just can’t match. Plus, Notion AI is integrated right where I’m already working.
What Notion replaces for me: Since adopting Notion as my central hub, I’ve been able to eliminate or reduce my reliance on multiple tools:
Otter.ai / — Notion AI now handles transcription needs for meetings
Calendly — Notion Calendar manages my scheduling
Evernote / Bear — All my notes live in Notion
Trello / Asana — Project management is built into my Notion databases
Airtable — Notion’s databases handle everything I used Airtable for
Google Docs (partially) — Most documentation now lives in Notion
Todoist / Things — Task management is integrated into my Notion system
This consolidation means fewer subscriptions, less context switching, and everything connected in one place.
Google Calendar
Platform: Website + Mobile App
Website: calendar.google.com
Cost: Free
Why I use it: My main scheduling tool for events and time-blocking.
Alternatives: Outlook Calendar, Apple Calendar
Why I picked it: It’s the standard that integrates with everything. Plus, it’s free and reliable.
