My App Stack 🥞

My App Stack 🥞

In this article, I conduct a thorough audit of my current application stack, examining each app I use for various projects, brands, and channels. My goal is to understand the benefits, costs, and overall value of these applications, allowing me to identify areas where I can cut expenses and enhance productivity. From email and document management tools to graphic design and social media platforms, I evaluate how each app serves my needs, even if some come with high costs and low benefits. This ongoing process helps me streamline my operations and make informed decisions about the tools I choose to support my work. Join me as I share insights into my app usage and the adjustments I plan to make in the future.

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My Comprehensive App Stack: Tools I Use for Work and Beyond; John’s Application Stack 🥞
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This article is an audit of my, John Guerra’s, app stack that I currently use to do whatever it is that I am doing with John at Work and my other channels, brands, and projects. The aim of this article is to help me better get a handle on what my stack is: the costs, the benefits, and general discovery.
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In this article, I conduct a thorough audit of my current application stack, examining each app I use for various projects, brands, and channels. My goal is to understand the benefits, costs, and overall value of these applications, allowing me to identify areas where I can cut expenses and enhance productivity. From email and document management tools to graphic design and social media platforms, I evaluate how each app serves my needs, even if some come with high costs and low benefits. This ongoing process helps me streamline my operations and make informed decisions about the tools I choose to support my work. Join me as I share insights into my app usage and the adjustments I plan to make in the future.
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Jul 6, 2023
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Jul 6, 2023 03:21 PM
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Aug 14, 2024 10:03 AM
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This article is an audit of my application stack that I currently use to do whatever it is that I am doing with John at Work and my other channels, brands, and projects. The purpose of this article is to help me gain a better understanding of my stack of apps, with the aim of improving both their cost and the benefits they provide.

🪙
There are affiliate links in this article. I will get a little commision if you purchase/subscribe to many of the apps listed in this article.
📝
This article is being drafted live. This is how we operate. We write our blog articles in public, from draft to completion, even future updates to the content will be discussed and published in the open.

Benefit, Cost, & Value

Here is my complete app stack; every app I use, even if the use is low (and/or lacks value) and the cost is high 🤢 — sadly. But this is one of the main reasons for this article and public audit of my stack. To cut the fat, discovery features, and get value from my App Stack.
Applications
Benefit
Cost
Value
App Suites
Email, Document/File Management, Ticketing and Support, Chat bots, …
$45 per month (1 user)
2️⃣
Google Workspaces
Document/File Management, Email, Chat, …
$12 per month (1 user)
2️⃣
Notes and Documentation
CMS, Notes, Planner, Project Management, Documentation, …
$50 per month (2 users)
3️⃣
Quick, multimedia note capture and content drafting
Part of Zoho One Membership ($45 for 1 per user)
2️⃣
Website Builders (and tools)
One page websites: landing pages, micro-sites, …
$49 per year
3️⃣
Headless Blog that works with Notion (databases) as the CMS
$19 per month
3️⃣
Build websites for clients and self
$42 per month (1 user, few clients)
2️⃣
Relume
$19 per month
2️⃣
Bio Sites (Squarespace)
testing
Graphic Design, Prototyping
Figma
$0 — considering the paid version
3️⃣
SEO and Web Marketing
Part of Zoho One Membership ($45 for 1 per user)
2️⃣
Google Analytics
Part of Zoho One Membership ($45 for 1 per user)
2️⃣
Zoho PageSense
Part of Zoho One Membership ($45 for 1 per user)
2️⃣
SEO tools for Webflow that runs in the browser — for SEO novices like me
$15 per month
2️⃣
SEMRush
$0 — considering the paid version
2️⃣
Blog & Writing
Medium
Weblog to the Medium audience and reach
$5 per month (1 user)
3️⃣
Substack
Weblog to the Substack audience and reach
$0transaction fees?
3️⃣
Search, Browsers, & AI
ChatGPT
Generative AI writing, research help
$0 — considering the paid version or other alternatives
2️⃣
Neeva acquired
Search the web outside of Google — been acquired by Snowflake
$0 considering the paid version
3️⃣
Generative AI writing, research help integrated into Notion
$20 per month (2 users)
3️⃣
Zoho Zia
Part of Zoho One Membership ($45 for 1 per user)
WolframAlpha
Navigate the web better via browsers - across devices
$0 — considering the paid version
3️⃣
Payment Apps
Ko-fi
Collect tips
transaction fees
2️⃣
Paddle
testing now
unsure
Patreon
Not yet using
transaction fees
2️⃣
Stripe
Get Paid
transaction fees
3️⃣
Banking
Chase Bank
was a $12 fee per mondy
2️⃣
Lilly Bank
2️⃣
3️⃣
Video and Photos
Android Camera
3️⃣
ClipChamp
2️⃣
Google Photos
3️⃣
LumaFusion
Edit videos from Chromebook
$15 one time
2️⃣
DaVinci Resolve
Edit videos from PC
$0 — considering the paid version
2️⃣
Youtube
2️⃣
Diagram & Virtual Workspace
Replace my white board and walls of my office so I can work away from my desk and with people & teams across the world
$15 per month
3️⃣
Email
Gmail
2️⃣
Zoho Mail
Part of Zoho One Membership ($45 for 1 per user)
2️⃣
Chat
Google Chat
Use to communicate with clients and other groups who use this platform.
paid for with Google Workspaces subscription ($12 per month)
2️⃣
Slack
Use to communicate with clients and other groups who use this platform.
$15 per month
2️⃣
Discord
Use to communicate with groups who use this platform.
2️⃣
Zoho Desk
2️⃣
Social
Twitter
🤷🏽‍♀️
$0 — never bought a check (I mean, I have 30 followers)
1️⃣
LinkedIn
👩🏽‍💼
$0 — was paying for it in the past, may do so again, soon ($X?)
2️⃣
Instagram
🐈‍⬛
2️⃣
Mastadon
🤓
2️⃣
Product Hunt
Files and Documents
Google Drive
2️⃣
Google Storage
2️⃣
Zoho WorkDrive
2️⃣
Capture & Record
Microsoft Lens
Seems to work the best
2️⃣
Passwords & Security
3️⃣
Part of Zoho One Membership ($45 for 1 per user)
2️⃣
Audible
2️⃣
Devices and Data
Duet Display
Dell XPS 13
Pixel 6 (Google)
2️⃣
Verizon
Operating Systems
Android OS
Chrome OS
Windows OS
iOS
🗒️
The table is organized by applications types, then by alphanumeric order.
Some apps may have multiple groups they could belong to, but I do not one to list them more than once.
🗒️
Value Column Explained This is value to me, personally. I use a simple 1 → 3 score (3 being the most valuable, 0 is no value). Some apps may be higher or lower for others, based on their requirements and experiences.
🗒️
I use all these apps in this table — love them or hate them. If I no longer use them or do not recommend them anymore, for whatever reason, I will update this post and/or create a follow up post.

High Benefit & Value, Low Cost

For some apps on the list above, I do not use the app and still spend money on it. This is Low Benefit & Low Value at a High Cost the opposite of this header 👆🏽 I do not know exactly what the future will look like or even what I want it to look like but I know I want to do have a low operating cost — for fuck sure not waste money. Bad finances does not scale well.
Some apps above will be removed from my stack over the next weeks — the stack is an evolving, ever morphing collection of software (and hardware). Though I may stop using a particular app in the stack, this does not mean you should. I advocate for and refer many apps that are of no use (or too expensive) for me and my work. Your work and other factors may be different.

Every App?

No, not every app in my stack is listed. This is and will not be for a lack of trying and want. Mostly because I forget more apps than I use.
 

That’s it. Thanks for reading.

🗨️
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Oh. One more thing…

Be easy on yourself. Jobs are hard. Business is hard. Work is hard. Life is hard.

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