The Stack
I'm a solo creator running a production company, writing content for a website, and managing client work. Since 2012, I've directed and produced commercials for brands like Starbucks, Nestlé, Yamaha, and Carrefour. I've also written comedy for the Ronald Rios Talk Show on Paramount, Comedy Central, and MTV. All of that required teams — producers, editors, designers, writers, assistants.
Today, I do most of it alone. Not because I'm some kind of superhuman, but because I've built an AI productivity stack that handles the parts I used to outsource. Here's exactly what I use, what it costs, and — critically — what it can and can't do.
Research: Perplexity Pro — $20/month
This replaced Google and RSS readers for my daily research workflow. I track AI industry news, research article topics, compare tools, fact-check claims, and investigate trends. All of it goes through Perplexity now.
How I actually use it: Every morning, I spend 20 minutes asking Perplexity about overnight developments in AI tools, production technology, and content creation trends. It synthesizes answers from multiple sources with citations. What used to take an hour of tab-hopping on Google now takes a fraction of the time.
The limitation: Perplexity is terrible for local search and visual references. I still use Google for "find me a studio rental near São Paulo" or "show me copper lighting setups for product photography."
Worth it? Absolutely. The time savings alone pay for the subscription in the first week.
Writing: Claude Pro — $20/month
Claude is my writing partner. Not my ghost writer — my partner. There's a distinction that matters.
How I actually use it: I draft article outlines, then use Claude to help expand sections, catch logical gaps, and suggest angles I haven't considered. For client emails, I describe the situation and tone, and Claude generates a first draft that I edit for voice and specifics. For proposals and treatments, Claude handles the structure while I focus on the creative pitch.
I also use Claude for research synthesis. I paste multiple sources and ask it to identify patterns, contradictions, and gaps. This is invaluable for trend pieces and industry analysis.
The limitation: Claude writes well but it writes "safe." It won't take creative risks. It won't write something edgy or provocative unless you push hard. Every article needs significant human editing to inject personality and opinion. If you publish Claude's first draft, it reads like content. If you edit it with your own voice, it reads like writing.
Worth it? Essential. The single most valuable AI tool in my stack.
Code: Cursor Pro — $20/month
I'm not a developer by training. I'm a filmmaker who learned to code out of necessity. Cursor has made that gap almost irrelevant.
How I actually use it: I built and maintain my entire Open Your AIs website using Cursor. Component updates, bug fixes, new features, database integrations — all done through conversational coding. I describe what I want, Cursor writes it, I review and deploy.
I also use it for automation scripts. A recent example: I needed a script to resize and optimize 200 images for web delivery. I described the requirements, Cursor wrote the script, and it ran in 3 minutes. Manually, this would have taken half a day.
The limitation: Complex architecture decisions still need human judgment. Cursor is brilliant at implementing features within an existing structure. It's much weaker at designing that structure from scratch. For big-picture technical decisions, I still consult with developer friends.
Worth it? Has saved me thousands of dollars in developer fees. Essential for any non-technical creator building web projects.
Images: Midjourney V7 — $30/month
My visual content engine. Everything from article thumbnails to client pitch mood boards to social media graphics runs through Midjourney.
How I actually use it: For client pitches, I generate storyboard frames and mood board images that visualize the concept. This replaced hiring an illustrator ($500-$1,000 per project) with a 20-minute Midjourney session. For content, I generate custom thumbnails and article images that match the specific tone of each piece.
V7's character consistency feature has been a game-changer. I can create a recurring visual character for a brand campaign and maintain their appearance across dozens of images.
The limitation: Midjourney doesn't do video. For a production company that lives in video, this is a significant gap. Also, while V7's text rendering has improved, it's still not reliable for complex graphics that need integrated typography.
Worth it? The best AI image tool available. Non-negotiable for visual content creation.
Video: Kling + Runway — $50/month combined
I use both because they have complementary strengths that no single tool matches.
How I actually use them: Kling for character-based content where consistency matters — a character walking, talking, interacting with products. Runway for abstract and motion-heavy content — transitions, visual effects, abstract sequences. Together, they cover about 70% of my AI video generation needs.
A recent project: I needed a 30-second social media ad concept for a client pitch. Instead of describing it verbally, I generated the entire sequence with AI video — product shots, lifestyle scenes, transitions. The client could see the concept before we committed to a production budget.
The limitation: Neither tool produces broadcast-quality video. For final client deliverables, we still shoot real footage. AI video is for concepting, pitching, and social media content — not for the hero commercial.
Worth it? For pre-visualization and social content, absolutely. For final production? Not yet.
Voice: ElevenLabs — $5/month
The cheapest tool in the stack and one of the most surprisingly useful.
How I actually use it: Rough voiceover drafts for client review. Instead of booking studio time to record a scratch track, I generate a voice demo in minutes. Clients hear the pacing, the tone, the script flow — and give feedback before we spend money on a professional recording.
I also use it for narration on internal content — explainer videos, tutorials, and quick social clips where hiring a voice actor would be overkill.
The limitation: AI voice lacks the performance depth of a real actor. It reads words; it doesn't perform them. For anything requiring emotional nuance, a real human in a real studio is irreplaceable.
Worth it? At $5/month, it's a no-brainer for rough drafts and low-stakes narration.
Project Management: Claude + Notion — $20/month combined
I use Claude as my executive assistant for task prioritization, email drafting, and schedule management. Combined with Notion for project tracking, it forms a lightweight but effective management system.
How I actually use it: Every Monday, I dump my weekly commitments into Claude and ask it to prioritize and schedule. It creates a structured plan that accounts for deadlines, dependencies, and energy management. Throughout the week, I use it for quick email responses, meeting prep, and decision-making frameworks.
The limitation: Claude doesn't understand the politics of client relationships. When a client says "we need this by Friday" but really means "we want to feel important," that's a human judgment call that no AI can make.
The Total Cost
Here's the full monthly budget:
- Perplexity Pro: $20
- Claude Pro: $20
- Cursor Pro: $20
- Midjourney: $30
- Kling + Runway: $50
- ElevenLabs: $5
- Notion: $10
Total: ~$155/month
What this replaces in terms of outsourcing: a researcher ($500/month), a writer ($1,000/month), a web developer ($2,000/month), a graphic designer ($800/month), a video editor ($1,500/month), a voice actor ($300/month), and a virtual assistant ($600/month). That's roughly $6,700/month in freelancer costs replaced by $155/month in AI subscriptions.
The math is absurd. And it's real.
The Honest Take
AI doesn't replace humans. It replaces the mechanical parts of human work. I still make every creative decision. I still direct every project. I still write with my own voice. I still manage client relationships with my own judgment.
What's changed is the support structure. Instead of needing a team to handle research, drafting, coding, and asset creation, I have AI tools that handle 80% of each task — and I provide the remaining 20% that requires taste, experience, and human judgment.
I'm more productive now than at any point in my 14-year career. And I work fewer hours. That's not a sales pitch — it's my actual life since building this stack.
If you're a solo creator in 2026 and you haven't built your AI productivity stack yet, you're competing with one hand tied behind your back. The tools are here. The cost is trivial. The only barrier is taking the time to learn them properly.
Rating: 9/10 — This stack has fundamentally changed how I work. $155/month to do the work of a small team. The 1 point deducted is for the constant overhead of managing and learning new tools — it's not zero effort.