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.
<aside> 🪙 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.
</aside>
<aside> 📝 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.
</aside>
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 | |||
| Zoho One | |||
| ‣ | 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 | |||
| Notion | |||
| ‣ | CMS, Notes, Planner, Project Management, Documentation, … | $50 per month (2 users) | 3️⃣ |
| Zoho Notebook | |||
| ‣ | Quick, multimedia note capture and content drafting | Part of Zoho One Membership ($45 for 1 per user) | 2️⃣ |
| Website Builders (and tools) | |||
| Carrd | |||
| ‣ | One page websites: landing pages, micro-sites, … | $49 per year | 3️⃣ |
| Feather | |||
| ‣ | Headless Blog that works with Notion (databases) as the CMS | $19 per month | 3️⃣ |
| Webflow | |||
| ‣ | 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 | |||
| **Zoho Analytics | |||
| ‣** | 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 | |
| SEMflow | |||
| ‣ | 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 | $0 — transaction fees? | 3️⃣ |
| Search, Browsers, & AI | |||
| ChatGPT | |||
| ‣ | Generative AI writing, research help | $0 — considering the paid version or other alternatives | 2️⃣ |
acquired |
| [Notion AI](<https://ajg-tid.notion.site/7d05cdb659e6468dabcb08e292f2c0ba>)
‣ | Generative AI writing, research help integrated into [Notion](<https://www.notion.so/>) | **$20** per month (2 users) | 3️⃣ |
| Zoho Zia
‣ | | Part of [Zoho One](<https://go.zoho.com/m03>) Membership ($45 for 1 per user) | |
| WolframAlpha
‣ | | | |
| [Workona](<https://workona.com/>)
‣ | 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 |
| [Novo Bank](<https://onboarding.novo.co/signup?referral_code=JohnGuerra>)
‣ | | | 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 | | | |
| [Miro](<https://ajg-tid.notion.site/My-App-Stack-abc184c60ec84badbd2f79e76b7789f7>)
‣ | 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 |
| [The Doodle Library](<https://www.thedoodlelibrary.com/>)
‣ ‣ | | | |
| Email | | | |
| Gmail
‣ | | | 2️⃣ |
| Zoho Mail
‣ | | Part of [Zoho One](<https://go.zoho.com/m03>) 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 | | | |
| [Dashlane](<https://www.dashlane.com/cs/7h_aoIu5BjZ2>)
‣ | | | 3️⃣ |
| [Zoho Vault](<https://go.zoho.com/oEO>)
‣ | | Part of [Zoho One](<https://go.zoho.com/m03>) 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 | | | |
<aside>
🗒️ **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.
</aside>
<aside>
🗒️ **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.
</aside>
<aside>
🗒️ **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.
</aside>
# 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.
# Removed But Still Recommended
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.
<aside>
🗨️ [**Chat with me](<https://salesiq.zoho.com/signaturesupport.ls?widgetcode=3cbc2f3987c5b0613c03add7ec8c2a2239e50f2eba08c27f799c19f62b7adcd50e4746e8ae13ba64c79ed53eb9a95531>)**
(or my bot) 🤖
</aside>
## Oh. One more thing…
***Be easy on yourself.**
**Jobs are hard.
Business is hard.
Work is hard.
Life is hard.***
~ **[John Guerra](<https://ajg-tid.notion.site/John-Guerra-486f3805e61747d9b96f38545db06aad>)
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