Earlier business notes
Choosing an AI tool for a real task
A task-first approach to evaluating AI tools, their review burden, data access and whether they deserve a place in your workflow.
By Rajiv Sankarlall · Updated
A list of tools someone else uses can be interesting. It does not tell you what belongs in your company. Begin with the work you want help doing, then evaluate the tool against that need.
This page is a technology note, rather than a description of Raj's personal software setup. The coaching offered here concerns founder burnout, values and purpose. AI installation and company automation are separate from that offer.
Describe the task before shopping
Choose a recurring activity with a clear result. Perhaps you need to turn meeting notes into a draft summary or find a first structure for a proposal. Record what the task takes now, where it gets stuck and what must be correct.
Distinguish a writing problem from an information problem. If your notes leave out key facts, a more fluent summary will not restore them. Fix the input or the underlying workflow before judging tools by the polish of their output.
Compare the whole process
Use the same sample task when evaluating options. Include setup, checking, corrections and moving the result into the place where your team works. Look at whether another person can follow the process without you explaining it each time.
Review data access and the provider's current terms before uploading confidential information. Identify which permissions the task actually needs. A trial using invented or public information can help you learn without connecting the tool to every part of the business.
Give each tool a reason to stay
Set a review point and ask what improved. Did the tool help produce usable work? Did it create a new dependency? Can you recover the information if you stop using it? Does someone own the workflow when you are unavailable?
Avoid expanding the setup just because a tool offers another feature. A small arrangement your team understands can be easier to maintain than several overlapping tools. Remove things that are not earning their place.
For broader risk planning, consult NIST's AI Risk Management Framework. For the personal question of what your time should serve, read values beyond the company. Saving time is useful when you choose what to do with it.