Everyday AI Tools to Boost Your Productivity

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As someone who has worked at a number of start ups holding various roles and responsibilities I often found myself having to do things that were not in my area of expertise. But I never let that stop me from giving things a try and finding the best tools that could help me to complete the assortment of tasks I was given. In a start up environment your budget is often limited and reserved for more important matters, and because of that I would try my absolute best to use tools that free.

1. ChatGPT: Your All-Purpose Assistant

The poster child for AI tools, ChatGPT reached 100 million users faster than anyone could’ve imagined. But here’s the trick: understanding how to prompt effectively turns this chatty assistant into a powerhouse.At the startup I worked for, I was tasked with writing privacy policies, terms and conditions, and other legal documents. Spoiler: I’m not a lawyer. But using ChatGPT, I broke down templates from other companies and adapted them to suit our needs. What could’ve taken weeks was done in days. Lesson learned? AI isn’t perfect—it still requires your expertise to refine and verify results. But with a little practice, it can amplify your capabilities.

2. Notion: The Organisational Guru

Think of Notion as Google Docs on steroids. It’s an all-in-one workspace where you can create documents, project boards, and even embed databases. Its built-in AI understands the context of your work and eliminates the need for constant re-prompting.One of my favourite features? It embeds HTML in the text automatically, which made life easier for the backend developers on my team. No more copy-paste chaos or formatting nightmares—it just worked.

3. Lavender: The Cold Email Coach

If you’ve ever had to send cold emails, you’ll know the pain of zero responses. That was me—until Lavender swooped in. This Chrome extension analyses your emails, scores them, and offers actionable feedback to improve them.When I was recruiting influencers for the app, Lavender’s suggestions (like optimising for mobile, adding a personal “P.S.”, and asking strategic questions) made all the difference. The result? Responses started trickling in. It turns out, there’s a science to good email writing—and Lavender knows it.

4. Playground AI: A Free Design Lifesaver

Not everyone’s a designer, and that’s okay—because tools like Playground AI exist. It’s a free image generator that’s not quite as powerful as MidJourney or Photoshop, but it’s perfect for quick, no-fuss visuals.For someone like me, who’s all thumbs when it comes to design, it was a lifesaver. Need a mockup or some placeholder art for a presentation? Done in minutes.

5. Uizard: Turning Ideas into Design

Speaking of design, Uizard takes it to another level. Upload a screenshot or a sketch, and it breaks down all the elements—text, shapes, colours—and turns them into editable assets.This was a game-changer for our globally distributed team. Time zones made real-time collaboration tricky, but with Uizard, I could tweak UI designs myself instead of waiting hours for a team member to wake up.

6. Firefly AI: Your Meeting Memory

As the team grew, so did the number of meetings. Keeping track of them all was impossible—until Firefly AI stepped in. This tool records, transcribes, and summarises meetings, even highlighting action points.It’s not perfect (foreign names can trip it up hilariously), but it made it easy to stay in the loop without attending every single call.

A Few Cautions Before You Dive In

AI is powerful, but it’s not foolproof. Models can “decay” if they rely too heavily on AI-generated content, and there are real privacy concerns about how data is used. Responsible use and ethical considerations are crucial. Always double-check the outputs, ensure the AI is pulling from reliable data, and advocate for regulations that protect user privacy.

Key Takeaways

AI tools can automate tasks, uncover insights, and help leaders understand their teams’ work better. Practice and familiarity are essential; like any tool they gets better the more you use them. While AI can make you more efficient, it’s important to stay cautious and informed about its limitations and risks. With proper use, AI is an ally—not a replacement.AI is no longer a distant future—it’s here, transforming how we work. As leaders, we can either fear it or embrace it. By taking the time to understand these tools, we not only make our own jobs easier but also gain insight into the work and challenges our teams face. Let’s use AI to enhance—not replace—the human element in your work.