Question 1

ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini or Grok: which AI assistant should I use for work?

Accepted Answer

ChatGPT for most people, Claude if your work is long writing, analysis or code, and Gemini if you live in Gmail, Docs and Android. ChatGPT has the most in one app (chat, images, deep research, voice and agents) and is free, $8 a month for Go, which may show ads, or $20 for Plus. Claude writes the most careful prose and handles long documents and code; Pro is $20 a month, $17 billed yearly. Gemini works inside Google's apps; Google AI Pro is $19.99, and in India AI Plus is Rs 399 and Pro Rs 1,950 a month. Copilot suits you if you already pay for Microsoft 365, Perplexity if you want every answer sourced, and Grok mainly for what people are posting on X. The free tiers of all three handle everyday questions. The rule: pay for one, run a week of your real work through it and a free second one, and keep whichever drafts you would actually send.

Question 2

Which paid AI subscriptions are worth it for an early-stage founder?

Accepted Answer

Start with one paid chat plan at about $20 a month (ChatGPT Plus, Claude Pro or Google AI Pro), because free tiers cap you right in the middle of real work; ChatGPT Go ($8, may show ads) and Google AI Plus ($4.99) are cheaper first steps. Add paid tools only when you hit a specific bottleneck (Cursor or Claude Code when you start building, a notetaker when calls pile up), and most solo founders' stack stays well under $200 a month, and the $100-plus tiers can wait until you hit limits every day. Audit monthly and cancel anything you haven't used in two weeks.

Question 3

How do I evaluate the endless stream of new AI tools without drowning?

Accepted Answer

Accept that nobody can keep up, the winning move is a filter, not more consumption. Start from a real friction point in your own work (not from a tool's launch video), trial one tool at a time on a real task for a week, and follow two or three trusted practitioner sources for 15 minutes a day instead of every launch thread. If a tool doesn't stick after a week, or solves a problem you won't still have in a year, drop it without guilt.

Question 4

How do I use AI and ChatGPT in my small business?

Accepted Answer

Pick one assistant and three jobs you repeat every week, and add more only when those run smoothly. Good first jobs: replies to customer messages and quotes, social posts and product descriptions, and summaries of invoices, contracts or sales sheets. Write a one-page brief about the business (what you sell, prices, tone, the questions customers ask) and keep it in a Project so every answer starts from it; ChatGPT Plus, with projects, is $20 a month. If you already use Google Workspace in India, Business Starter at Rs 270 a user a month puts Gemini in Gmail and keeps company data out of model training. On Microsoft, the Copilot Business add-on is Rs 1,495.73 a user a month paid yearly until 31 December 2026. For WhatsApp and Instagram, SOLO by Interakt plans posts and follows up leads, sending nothing without your approval. Check every price, figure and promise before it reaches a customer.

Question 5

Which AI tools should a small business use?

Accepted Answer

AI inside the email and documents you already use, Canva for visuals, a notetaker, and an automation tool once work repeats. On Google, Workspace Business Starter (Rs 270 a user a month in India) adds Gemini to Gmail, and Business Standard (Rs 864 introductory) adds it to Docs and Meet. On Microsoft, Microsoft 365 Business Standard with Copilot is Rs 1,955 a user a month paid yearly. Otherwise ChatGPT (Go $8, Plus $20) or Claude (Pro $20) covers writing, analysis and research. Canva is free, Pro US$144 a year. Fathom records and summarises calls free. Zapier connects your apps, free for 100 tasks a month. For a shop that sells on WhatsApp and Instagram, SOLO by Interakt answers leads and plans posts with your approval. The rule: buy the AI inside software you already pay for before adding a new app.

How founders use AI for Building Your AI Stack

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