Resources

The tools I use to build AI automation

A short list of the tools behind my work, what each one is and what I use it for. Where I have written about a tool, the link is there.

Build and automate

The tools that do the actual work of an automation.

  • n8n

    A workflow automation tool that connects apps and services with a visual editor. You can self-host it or run it in the cloud.

    How I use it: I have built with it, including a Telegram bot, an invoice pipeline and the webhook that used to receive this site's contact form. My client delivery has since moved to Claude-based agentic workflows, and the guide explains where each one fits.

  • Claude Code

    Anthropic's command line tool for working with Claude on real projects. It reads your files, edits them and runs commands.

    How I use it: I use it to build agentic workflows, including the outbound lead generation system I run for Smart AI Workspace itself.

  • Claude API

    Anthropic's API for calling Claude models from your own software. You send a prompt and get back text, structured data or tool calls.

    How I use it: I add Claude steps to workflows where a fixed rule is not enough, such as reading a document and pulling out the fields that matter.

Data and research

Where records live and where fresh information comes from.

  • Airtable

    A cloud database with a spreadsheet-style interface, often used for content pipelines, approval queues and lightweight CRMs.

    How I use it: I connect it to workflows through its API with a scoped token, and I add Claude steps where records need judgement.

  • Firecrawl

    A web data API that crawls and scrapes sites and returns clean text or structured data that a language model can read.

    How I use it: It is part of the lead generation and outreach automation I build, alongside n8n and Claude.

Site and email

What this website itself runs on.

  • Next.js

    A React framework for full stack web apps, with routing, server rendering and API routes.

    How I use it: This site is a Next.js app, including the API routes behind the contact form, the ROI calculator and the audit request.

  • Vercel

    A hosting platform for web apps that builds a preview deployment for every branch.

    How I use it: This site is deployed on Vercel.

  • Resend

    An email API for developers, used for transactional email and for managing audiences.

    How I use it: It sends the emails from this site's contact form: a notification to me and a confirmation to the sender. ROI calculator and audit sign-ups are stored in a Resend audience.

This list is what I use, not a ranking. There are no affiliate links or sponsored placements on this page.

Want the right tools picked for your business?

I choose the stack to fit your process, not the other way round. Tell me what is slowing your team down and I will map the fix.