STEPHEN
STILWELL
Useful in Practice
THE USEFUL STACK / A FREE GUIDE BY STEPHEN STILWELL

A shortlist for
better work.

Six useful tools. What to use them for, who they fit, and the tradeoff to know before you commit.

For professionals, founders, and creators who want a useful starting point without another afternoon of tool research.

  • From customer inquiries to meeting notes, presentations, and automation.
  • A practical first task for every pick.
  • Reasons to try it, and reasons to skip it.
THE STARTER EDITION / SIX PICKS

Start with the job
you need to do.

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You do not need all six. Choose the task that matters now, then try one tool against the way you already work.

01 / COLLECT BETTER INQUIRIES

Tally

Useful for
Freelancers and small teams offering more than one service.
What it does
Build a form that shows relevant questions based on a visitor’s answers.
Why it makes the shortlist
A good starting point when your inquiry form treats every customer the same. Conditional logic lets the next question follow the actual request.
The tradeoff
More branching means more paths to maintain. Skip it if a short, fixed form already gets you the information you need.
Try this first
Create two service paths, then switch answers halfway through. Check that hidden required fields do not block submission.
02 / TURN CONVERSATIONS INTO USABLE NOTES

Granola

Useful for
People doing customer discovery, project calls, or frequent internal meetings.
What it does
Combine your notes with AI-assisted meeting notes so you have a useful record to work from.
Why it makes the shortlist
Worth evaluating when rewriting meeting notes delays the follow-up. The useful result is a clear record of decisions, open questions, and owners.
The tradeoff
A polished summary can still miss a qualification. Get participant permission and review data settings before using it for real conversations.
Try this first
Use a mock conversation with a tentative deadline and a corrected number. Check that both survive in the notes.
03 / GIVE A ROUGH BRIEF A CLEAR STRUCTURE

Gamma

Useful for
Founders, consultants, and creators preparing a first presentation draft.
What it does
Turn an outline into a presentation that you can refine and share.
Why it makes the shortlist
Worth a look when arranging the first draft takes longer than deciding what to say. Start with your argument, then use the tool to explore its presentation.
The tradeoff
A coherent-looking deck is not evidence. Check every claim, edit the story, and inspect the format you will actually send.
Try this first
Draft five slides: audience, problem, proposal, evidence, next step. Remove any statement you cannot support.
04 / CONNECT A REPEATABLE WORKFLOW

n8n

Useful for
Operations-minded founders and teams comfortable with workflow logic.
What it does
Connect services and build workflows for recurring tasks, with AI steps where they serve a clear purpose.
Why it makes the shortlist
A candidate when the same handoffs happen repeatedly. Explicit steps make it easier to identify where information enters, changes, and needs review.
The tradeoff
Setup and maintenance can outweigh the benefit for occasional tasks. Connections, permissions, and failure handling still need an owner.
Try this first
Map one workflow before automating it. Try a missing field and a failed step, and decide when a person should take over.
05 / EXPLORE A VISUAL DIRECTION

Recraft

Useful for
Creators and small teams turning a product message into graphics.
What it does
Generate and edit visual assets to explore an idea before refining the final creative.
Why it makes the shortlist
Worth considering when you know the message but need a starting visual direction. Judge the result by what the audience understands at a glance.
The tradeoff
An attractive image can still be unclear at phone size. Check current usage rights and avoid imagery that implies product results you cannot demonstrate.
Try this first
Make one graphic for one message. View it at mobile size and ask someone what they think it says.
06 / BUILD AN EMAIL AUDIENCE YOU CAN REACH AGAIN

Kit

Useful for
Creators and small businesses with something specific to offer readers.
What it does
Collect email subscribers and publish email content, with automation options as your needs grow.
Why it makes the shortlist
Kit powers the signup on Useful in Practice. It is a relevant place to start when you want interested readers to hear from you beyond a social feed.
The tradeoff
The platform cannot supply your reason to subscribe. Start with the offer and a sustainable writing habit; check current plan limits before committing.
Try this first
Write the first useful email before designing a complex sequence. Make one promise that you can consistently deliver.

One task. One tool. A fair comparison.

Count setup, execution, and corrections. Keep the tool only if the finished result improves on your current approach.

Use the evaluation worksheet ↗