If you're at a startup, trying to do more with less (don't we all?), here are the AI tools that are actually worth your time and budget.

1. ChatGPT Pro (with GPT-4o): Your Strategic Sidekick

If you're only using ChatGPT to rewrite emails, you're leaving 90% of its value on the table. I use it daily for:

• Drafting marketing frameworks and messaging
  
• Generating interview questions for customer research
  
• Building content briefs and outlines in seconds
  

Pro tip: Train it on your tone of voice and brand messaging. The results get eerily good.

2. Perplexity.ai: For Faster (and Smarter) Research

Think of this as Google + AI on steroids. When I’m looking for market trends, competitive intel, or synthesizing insights across multiple sources, Perplexity gets me answers faster than traditional search.

Use it to:

• Summarize investor decks, case studies, or long articles
  
• Research competitor positioning
  
• Discover fresh content ideas
  

3. Jasper.ai: For Scaling Content Production

If you’re producing blog posts, email sequences, and social content at scale, Jasper is built for teams. It’s not cheap, but it shines in multi-user environments.

I recommend Jasper if:

• You have multiple contributors (founders, SDRs, marketers)
  
• You need brand-safe, scalable content output
  
• You want built-in workflows for approval and publishing
  

4. Descript: For Editing Video & Audio Like a Doc

Founders are increasingly becoming their own media channels. If you’re recording product demos, customer interviews, or podcast episodes, Descript lets you edit with zero technical experience.

You can:

• Remove filler words automatically
  
• Turn long videos into bite-sized clips
  
• Create subtitles instantly
  

5. Browse AI / Clay / Zapier: For Automation & Enrichment

This isn’t one tool—it’s a stack. I use:

• Browse AI to scrape startup data or monitor competitor pages
  
• Clay to enrich lead lists with LinkedIn or Crunchbase data
  
• Zapier to glue everything together into repeatable workflows
  

Together, they eliminate hours of manual work.

You Don’t Need More Tools. You Need a Stack That Works.

Most startups don’t fail because they’re missing tools—they fail because they don’t have a strategy. The best AI stack is the one that helps you move faster in the right direction.

Need help building a smarter GTM motion using AI and human expertise? That’s what I do.

Contact TenXCMO if you’re ready to scale without burning out.