The tools
There are dozens of AI tools and you do not need most of them. Here is the short map: the handful that matter, and what each one is actually for.
Every week there is a new AI tool and a new reason you supposedly cannot live without it. Ignore almost all of it. To get started and to follow this course, you only need to know a small number of tools. Here they are, grouped by what they are for.
The everyday assistants
These are the chat tools. You type, they answer. They are where most people start, and they are genuinely useful for thinking, drafting, explaining, and answering questions.
ChatGPT
The one most people have heard of. A capable all-rounder for writing, questions, and brainstorming. Free to start, with a paid tier for heavier use.
Claude
Another excellent assistant, and the one this course is built around, because it also powers the building you will do later. Free to try, paid for the good stuff.
Gemini
Google's assistant. Strong, free for most things, and well connected to Google's apps. Handy if you already live in Gmail and Docs.
NotebookLM
Also from Google. Feed it your own documents and it summarises them, answers questions on them, and can even turn them into a podcast-style audio you can listen to.
The one for building
Chatting is useful, but the exciting part of this course is making real things: apps, tools, and dashboards. For that, the standout tool is Claude Code. It lets you build working software by describing what you want in plain English, with no coding from you. It is the engine behind almost everything on this site, and Stage 3 walks you through setting it up. For now, just know it exists and that it is where you are heading.
You do not need ten subscriptions. One chat assistant you like, plus Claude for building, will carry you through this entire course and well beyond. Add anything else only when you hit a real reason to.
Which one for which job
- Quick questions, drafting, thinking out loud: any of the chat assistants. Pick the one you like talking to.
- Making sense of your own documents: NotebookLM.
- Listening instead of reading: NotebookLM's audio overviews.
- Actually building an app, tool, or dashboard: Claude, with Claude Code.
Worth paying for later
A few tools cost a bit more and take a little learning, so save them until your work actually calls for them. They are not part of getting started:
Canva
Design and graphics made easy, now with AI built in. Good if you make a lot of visual content.
Gamma
Turns a few notes into a decent slide deck or web page. Useful if you give presentations.
Midjourney
Generates original images from a description. A paid tool, brilliant for visuals when you need them.
The short version
- 1Ignore the firehose of new tools. A few matter.
- 2Pick one chat assistant you like for everyday questions and drafts.
- 3Use NotebookLM to turn your own documents into summaries and audio.
- 4Claude, with Claude Code, is the tool for actually building things.
- 5Canva, Gamma, and Midjourney can wait until you need them.
That is the map. Next, the one piece of setup in the whole course: getting Claude installed and running your first build.