Thinking In Public – Issue #21 | One Need One Tool The Practical AI Toolbox Map (Part 1)
A curated list of 25 real use cases with the simplest tool to start with, from model testing to meeting notes, video clips, scraping, vibe coding, and fast slides.
Over the last few issues, I have been going deep on a single topic and moving forward with a this is how I do it approach. This time I wanted to try something a bit different. I want you to have a clear need, and ideally a single tool or service on the other side.
So this is not a deep guide. Think of it more like a signpost. When a bullet catches your attention, do this: ask any AI chatbot you use (ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, Grok, Perplexity) to do a quick up to date scan on that tool and also on the web. Then ask questions like how do I set this up, how do I use it, where does it usually break, what should I watch out for.
Even if you are not technical, you can move forward pretty easily. In a few spots you might need chatbot help, but the overall flow is simple.
Below are 25 scenarios I use or at least looked into seriously. I will share the other 25 in the next issue.
First, testing models and making a decision.
There are too many AI models. I cannot subscribe to each one. I want to test and compare them first, then decide.
For text models, use OpenRouter. For image and audio and video models, use Fal.ai or Replicate. They work on credits. You can buy credits, test, and later subscribe directly to the model provider you like.
I want to build a workflow with existing image and video AI models and automate some processes. For example, taking a randomly uploaded product photo and turning it into an e-commerce ready product image and a product video in one step.
Use Fal.ai. You need to build a workflow there.
Now the side of bots, clones, and website chatbots that run on your own knowledge.
I want to build an AI chatbot for a specific group (followers, customers, students) that is trained on my files and prompts and responds in a specific style. It does not have to be my own brand.
Use ChatGPT’s custom GPT feature. Create a custom GPT and share it as a link.
I want to build my own AI chatbot. I want people to interact with my digital clone.
Use SuperMe AI. It will scan platforms like your LinkedIn, your Substack newsletter, and your website, then automatically build your AI chatbot.
I want to create a very simple AI chatbot for my company, then put it on my website for visitors.
Use Chatbase.
Video, meetings, and documents. For me, the fastest ROI is usually here.
I have long videos (YouTube, Zoom, Drive, or local). I want to turn them into social media friendly short clips and add captions.
Use OpusClip.
I have frequent meetings (sales calls, customer calls, consulting). I want an AI notetaker. It should work across Zoom, Google Meet, and MS Teams, but it should not join the meeting as a bot. I also want to interact with the meeting notes afterward.
Use Granola AI.
I want to quickly get the transcript of a YouTube video I am watching, manually and in a simple way.
Use Glasp. Use it on Google Chrome, Safari, Edge, and more.
From a PDF, a text, a website, or a YouTube video, I want to generate a podcast, a slide deck, an infographic, a narrated presentation video, a mind map, a quiz, or flashcards with one click.
Use NotebookLM.
I want to chat with PDFs using AI, but for reliability, it must provide exact references or anchors to the specific parts of the document where the information was extracted.
Use Humata AI.
I want to create my own AI video clone, do AI dubbing, and produce UGC style AI videos for social media.
Use HeyGen AI. The quality is still not perfect here, but done better than perfect.
Forms, scraping, and ready made templates.
I am tired of classic form builders. I want an AI form builder. I tell it my goal, and it should give each person a dynamic form experience through conversation.
Use Formshare.
I want to scrape all the information on a website or page, and interact with what I scraped.
Use Firecrawl.
We are a small organization. We want specialized AI and automation tools for departments like marketing, sales, HR, and customer service. But we want to use ready templates and agents instead of building everything ourselves.
Use Gumloop and Agent.ai. You can build your own too, but you can also use many ready templates by filling them out like a form.
Automation level. I do not think everyone needs to run to the same tool. Going level by level makes more sense.
We have zero technical knowledge. We want to start learning automation with simple automations (for example, reading emails that arrive in the company inbox info@sirket.com and notifying the relevant department on Slack based on the subject.)
Use Zapier.
We have moderate technical knowledge. We want to build valuable mid level automations (for example, every morning scanning Google News for your industry, summarizing it, picking an image, and saving it to Notion as a LinkedIn draft).
Use Make.com.
We have good technical knowledge. We want to build advanced automations (for example, handling customer requests like where is my order or I want to return, checking the order status in the database, calling the shipping carrier API if needed, and proactively generating a return code).
Use N8N and Relevance AI.
Vibe coding. The choice is usually about how you feel when you see code on the screen.
I want to build high quality static or dynamic websites or mobile apps with vibe coding. Seeing code does not give me anxiety.
Use Claude Code or Cursor.
I want to build high quality static or dynamic websites with vibe coding, but seeing code gives me anxiety.
I want to build mobile apps with vibe coding, but seeing code gives me anxiety.
Presentations and design. I think there are two modes here. Fast and good enough, and more design focused.
I need to prepare a presentation fast. It does not have to be perfect. Done better than perfect.
Use Gamma AI, Chronicle HQ, Beautiful AI, or NotebookLM create slide feature.
I want to make things like icons, mockups, and logos with AI.
Use Recraft AI.
I want to build a website but I have no idea what kind of website I want. I want inspiration both for the overall site and for sections on the page.
Use 21st.dev, Mobbin, Dribble, Brandcolors.net, Landingfolio, Untitled UI, Uizard, and Google Stitch.
Finally, music and audio.
I want to generate my own music with AI at a level that is indistinguishable from real music.
I want to generate sound effects, generic music, and background music with AI.
Use ElevenLabs.
I prepared this issue especially for people who know what they want to do but are not sure which tool to choose.
If you have a different use case in mind that is not on this list, you can leave a comment and I will try to point you in the right direction. Also, if you think a category is missing, or you believe a different tool is better for a specific item, you can share that too.
I will continue with the remaining 25 items in the next issue. Thanks for reading!
If you have any thoughts, feedback, or questions, I’d love to hear from you! You can always reach out to me on X (Twitter) or LinkedIn.
– Alperen
Thank you for featuring glasp.co!
nice list! a lot to go through but i see some heavy hitters!