tools i actually use (not just recommend), books that shaped how i think, and copywriting frameworks i come back to. with my commentary on each.
Basically just ChatGPT or any LLM integrated into your IDE. IDE is just fancy word for 'where you can write code and see if it actually works.' I love Cursor, a Ghost Energy Drink, and the Social Network soundtrack until 3am.
Whenever I want to do any copywriting, script-writing or essentially anything that involves creativity I use Claude. They also have a feature called 'Projects.' SUPER VALUABLE for copywriting or whenever you want to give the LLM a ton of examples of 'what good actually looks like.'
Whenever I want deep coding help, or just want 'brute-force' type of work I use GPT. They also have a 'Deep Research' feature that I use whenever I want to get a TON of information on any given subject.
Create a beautiful frontend in Next.js. Previews everything for you after a prompt. Like magic for UI.
Talk and it transcribes it. I use it when I'm on a walk and want to think out loud. Most products just have one very good thing in them — Wispr Flow's is that it's literally just tap, talk, and then everything else is cherry on top.
THE GOAT. Allows you to scrape data from applications like X, LinkedIn, Instagram, and TikTok. You can download all tweets via an API, and it outputs into a CSV. I got a script that can also output the transcripts for each of those — prob the most valuable piece on Instagram.
Allows you to input any Instagram reel link and download it in an mp4 format.
Allows you to input any TikTok URL and download it into an mp4 format.
Allows you to input all mp3, m4a and all audio files and turn them into audio transcriptions. Even works for short mp4s. Great for repurposing podcasts into written content.
If you want to download a whole podcast audio that's on Spotify. They don't have my episodes cause I never got big enough smh (but pretty much every other one is on there).
You know those like, 'Comment Free below and I'll send you this guide.' Then after you do they send it to you automatically. They use ManyChat for that.
If you want to build a low-code workflow. When {x} happens I want {y} action to perform. I use it heavily at Origami for ingesting call transcripts, Slack mentions, and HubSpot events into our agent system.
Essentially every application has a Zapier integration. Whole idea is that when {x} occurs perform {y} action. Some examples: when a new customer is added in Hubspot, add a row to this Google Sheet. When this Zoom recording ends, send the transcript to ChatGPT, and send them a summary in Slack.
Let's say you have a .csv or excel file with a bunch of LinkedIn accounts of people you want to message. You can pretty much upload that list to HeyReach and schedule out a bunch of 'connection' requests then after send them a message.
the tools i use day-to-day at origami. i used to jump between all of these manually — then i built an agent that does it for me.
billing & invoicing
CRM & deal tracking
customer success
auth & user management
product analytics
database & backend
team communication
call transcripts
the low-friction system i use to create linkedin and social content. rooted in experience, not opinion.
Run a script that enters your Instagram account and outputs transcripts for every single one of your reels
Throw those transcripts into a Claude Project
Use something like Wispr Flow when on a walk, think out loud
Say 'cook me up a post about [this topic], use the style of writing you see throughout all of these transcripts'
Use Apify to download all tweets/content via API — outputs into a CSV with transcripts
the golden formula: posts rooted in things you've done rather than your opinion.
frameworks and quotes i come back to constantly. mostly from harry dry and alex hormozi.
Harry Dry
Harry Dry
Harry Dry
Hormozi
“Taste, conviction, experience — the things that can't be outsourced to AI”
— Harry Dry
“If a word isn't working for you, it's working against you”
— Kaplan's Law of Words
“Two line paragraphs are like monkey-bars to a reader”
— Harry Dry
“You don't talk, you point. Say things you can point to”
— Harry Dry
“Persuasion = more good or less bad”
— Alex Hormozi
“Accurately describe a prospect's pain in their own language, in their own experiences, you can persuade them to buy whatever your product is”
— Alex Hormozi
“If you can ever make your customer feel like they're making a smart decision, you're doing something right”
— Harry Dry
“Newsletters and posts should be more about the letter and less about the news”
— Unknown
started reading in high school. got deep into stoicism and self-help during covid. these are the ones that stuck.
David Goggins
Read this in 2019 and it got me deep into the self-help space. Completely changed how I think about discipline and what's possible.
Jordan Peterson
One of the first books that got me thinking about meaning and responsibility. Packed it on every trip.
Robert Kiyosaki
Started reading this during covid. Shifted how I think about money and assets vs. liabilities.
Stephen Covey
Read this multiple times in high school. The idea of 'begin with the end in mind' stuck with me.
Jesse Itzler
Started listening at the beginning of 2025. It was very romantic to me, the idea of having 9 months to change my life. Later made content for him with SEI.
Sam Parr & Shaan Puri
Over 600k on YouTube and a top-ranked entrepreneurship podcast. Emailed back and forth with them about coming down to UIUC — even hosted a pitch competition inspired by them.
Tim Ferriss
Listened for tips on improving my own podcast. His interview style influenced how I ran my student founder interviews.
what i build with day-to-day.
react, next.js, tailwind
node.js, express, python, fastapi
claude api, mcp, openai, langchain, agno
vercel, render, supabase, railway, aws
postgresql (via supabase)
clerk