What it does: AI writing assistant that's actually writing this description right now

Why we use it: Meta moment: Claude is helping us write about Claude. But honestly, this tool is why The Occasional Genius exists in its current form. It's our brainstorming partner, draft-writer, voice-refiner, and "is this sentence weird?" consultant. We use it for everything: posts, emails, brand strategy, image prompts. It gets tone, remembers context, and doesn't judge us for asking the same question five different ways.

Real talk: Free tier is fine for dabbling. Paid tier (Claude Pro) is essential for running a content business. And yes, we still edit everything. AI is a tool, not a ghost writer. But it's a really, really good tool.

What it does: AI image generator with tons of customization options and style controls

Why we use it: This is where those rough, hand-drawn blog post illustrations come from. OpenArt gives us way more control than most AI image generators—we can fine-tune the style, adjust specific elements, and actually get consistent results that match our brand aesthetic. We use it for blog hero images and some Pinterest pins, feeding it detailed prompts about ink lines, texture, color palettes, and that "drawn with a marker" vibe we're going for. The results aren't perfect (AI never is), but they're close enough that we can work with them.

Real talk: There's a learning curve to getting good results. You need to be specific with prompts and willing to generate multiple versions. Free tier exists but has limits. Paid plans are reasonable if you're creating visual content regularly. Not as intuitive as some tools, but way more powerful once you figure it out.

What it does: Design platform for creating graphics, social posts, presentations, and basically any visual content you need

Why we use it: Our logo was designed in Canva. Our entire brand kit lives in Canva. After we generate rough illustrations in OpenArt, Canva is where we polish them into actual usable graphics. It's also our go-to for Pinterest pins, social media posts, and any design work that needs to happen quickly without opening Adobe Creative Suite. We can save brand colors, upload custom fonts, store logo variations, and create templates we reuse constantly. For a brand built by non-designers, it's basically essential.

Real talk: Free version is surprisingly capable. Paid version (Canva Pro) is worth it if you're doing this regularly—you get the brand kit feature (where all your assets live), background removal, and way more stock assets. The AI tools are hit or miss (we don't use them much), but the core design functionality is solid. Not for serious designers, but perfect for people building a brand without a design degree.

What it does: All-in-one platform for building websites, managing email lists, creating sales funnels, and running your online business

Why we use it: Honestly? Because we didn't want to piece together fifteen different tools and hope they all played nicely together. System.io handles our blog, email marketing, landing pages, and affiliate management in one place. It's not the prettiest platform you've ever seen, but it's shockingly functional, and everything actually works the way it's supposed to. For people building something from scratch without a tech team, it's kind of perfect.

Real talk: The learning curve exists, but it's not steep. And the free plan is genuinely generous—you can start without spending a cent and upgrade when you're ready. We've tried the "best tool for each thing" approach. This is better.

What it does: Domain registration and management

Why we use it: Pure inertia.

We bought our first domain on GoDaddy back in 2010, and then another, and another, and now we have approximately a million domains living there. The thought of transferring them all makes us want to take a nap, so here we still are.

Real talk: GoDaddy is... fine. It works. But it's not the best. The checkout is an upsell gauntlet, the emails never stop, and there are better options. We're planning to migrate everything to

Namecheap eventually—better prices, cleaner interface, way less annoying. If you're registering a domain today, just start with Namecheap and skip the migration hassle we've created for ourselves.

Namecheap ← This is what we'd use if we weren't trapped by our own laziness

What it does: Domain registration and management (the better version)

Why we recommend it: Cheaper than GoDaddy, cleaner interface, less aggressive upselling, better reputation with people who do this for a living. This is where we're moving all our domains once we stop procrastinating about it.

Real talk: If you're buying your first domain (or your next one), start here. Don't make our mistake of being on GoDaddy for 15 years because switching feels like homework.