Tech Stack Recommendation

When to Use This Skill

Use this skill when you need to:

• Select a complete technology stack for a new business or project
• Recommend tools across multiple business functions (communication, finance, marketing, etc.)
• Design a phased implementation plan for adopting multiple tools
• Balance cost, capability, and simplicity for a solopreneur or small team

DO NOT use this skill for evaluating a single tool (use saas-evaluation), auditing an existing stack (use tool-stack-audit), or enterprise IT architecture. This is for small business tech stack design.

Core Principle

THE BEST TECH STACK IS THE SMALLEST ONE THAT COVERS YOUR NEEDS — EVERY ADDITIONAL TOOL ADDS COST, COMPLEXITY, AND MAINTENANCE. START WITH THE ESSENTIALS AND ADD ONLY WHEN A REAL PROBLEM DEMANDS IT.

Phase 1: Brief

Required Inputs

GATE: Confirm the brief before designing the stack.

Phase 2: Map Business Functions

Function Inventory

For the business type, identify which functions need tools:

Mark each as: Needed Now / Needed Soon / Not Yet / Not Applicable

GATE: Confirm which functions to address before recommending tools.

Phase 3: Recommend

Stack Recommendation Format

For each function, recommend one primary tool:

## Recommended Tech Stack

### Communication
**Tool:** [Name] — $[X]/month
**Why:** [One sentence rationale]
**Alternative:** [Runner-up if budget or needs differ]

### Website
**Tool:** [Name] — $[X]/month
**Why:** [One sentence rationale]
**Alternative:** [Runner-up]

[Repeat for each function...]

Stack Archetypes

The Bootstrap Stack (under $50/month):

• Google Workspace ($7/month) — email, docs, storage
• Carrd or WordPress ($0-12/month) — website
• Wave or Stripe ($0) — invoicing and payments
• Notion ($0-10/month) — CRM, project management, docs
• Canva Free ($0) — design
• Mailchimp Free ($0) — email marketing
• Claude Free ($0) — AI writing and research

The Growth Stack ($100-200/month):

• Google Workspace ($14/month) — email, storage
• WordPress + hosting ($20-30/month) — website
• QuickBooks ($30/month) — accounting
• Notion or ClickUp ($10-15/month) — project management
• ConvertKit ($29/month) — email marketing
• Canva Pro ($13/month) — design
• Claude Pro ($20/month) — AI
• Calendly ($0-8/month) — scheduling
• Zapier ($20/month) — automation

Cost Summary

## Monthly Cost Summary

| Function | Tool | Cost |
|----------|------|------|
| Communication | [Tool] | $[X] |
| Website | [Tool] | $[X] |
| Finance | [Tool] | $[X] |
| CRM / PM | [Tool] | $[X] |
| Marketing | [Tool] | $[X] |
| Design | [Tool] | $[X] |
| AI | [Tool] | $[X] |
| **Total** | | **$[X]/month** |
| **Annual** | | **$[X]/year** |

Phase 4: Polish

1. Implementation Order

Sequence tool adoption to avoid overwhelm:

2. Integration Map

Show how recommended tools connect:

[Website] → leads → [Email Marketing] → nurtures → [CRM]
[CRM] → projects → [Project Management] → invoices → [Finance]
[Automation] connects [all tools] via triggers and actions

3. Quality Checklist

## Tech Stack Checklist

- [ ] All priority business functions have a recommended tool
- [ ] Each tool has a clear rationale (not just "it is popular")
- [ ] Total monthly cost is within budget
- [ ] Alternatives provided for key tools (in case of preference)
- [ ] Implementation is phased over 4 weeks (not all at once)
- [ ] Integration points between tools are identified
- [ ] Free tiers and trials are leveraged where possible
- [ ] Stack avoids redundancy (no two tools for the same job)
- [ ] Data portability checked (can you export and leave each tool?)
- [ ] Annual cost calculated for budget planning

Example

Business: Freelance copywriter, just launched, $100/month budget

## Recommended Stack — $87/month

| Function | Tool | Cost |
|----------|------|------|
| Email + Docs | Google Workspace | $7 |
| Website | Carrd | $9 |
| Invoicing | Stripe Invoicing | $0 (per-transaction fees) |
| CRM + PM | Notion | $10 |
| Email Marketing | MailerLite | $0 (free up to 1K subscribers) |
| Design | Canva Pro | $13 |
| AI Writing | Claude Pro | $20 |
| Scheduling | Calendly | $0 (free tier) |
| Contracts | HelloSign | $15 |
| Automation | Zapier | $20 |
| **Total** | | **$94/month** |

Implementation order: Week 1: Google Workspace, Carrd, Stripe. Week 2: Notion, Calendly. Week 3: MailerLite, HelloSign. Week 4: Canva, Claude, Zapier.

Anti-Patterns

• Enterprise tools for solo businesses — Salesforce for a one-person business is like using a firehose to water a houseplant.
• Adopting everything at once — setup fatigue is real. Phase the implementation over 4 weeks minimum.
• Choosing tools your friends use — tool selection should match YOUR business needs, not someone else's.
• Ignoring free tiers — many tools offer generous free plans. Use them until you outgrow them.
• Building instead of buying — unless your business IS software, buy the tool. Your time is better spent on clients and revenue.

Recovery

• Budget too tight for recommendations: Start with free tiers only. Google Workspace, Notion Free, Canva Free, and Mailchimp Free cover 80% of needs at $0.
• User is overwhelmed by options: Pick ONE archetype (Bootstrap or Growth) and implement it as-is. Customize later.
• A recommended tool does not fit after trying it: Swap with the alternative. Most tools in the same category are interchangeable.
• User already has tools they want to keep: Build the stack around their keepers. Fill gaps only.