I was digging through some old saved threads today and found screenshots
It’s wild—half the "new" AI tools I see on my LinkedIn feed every morning are just reskinned versions of these classics. If you’re a solo founder or just starting out in digital marketing, stop overpaying for subscriptions. You can basically run a 7-figure agency on this "old school" stack.
Here’s the breakdown of what actually still works and how to use them today:
1. The "Don't Overthink It" Stack (Project Management)
Trello: Still the king of Kanban. I know everyone has moved to Notion or Monday, but for a simple "In Progress -> Done" workflow, Trello is still unbeatable.
Google Workspace (formerly G Suite): If you aren’t using Shared Drives for collaboration, you’re making your life 10x harder.
2. SEO & Research (The Essentials)
Google Search Console: This isn't optional. If you want to rank on Google, you need to see what keywords are actually driving clicks.
Answer The Public: Still my favorite way to find "hidden" long-tail questions that people are actually searching for.
Screaming Frog: Still the most powerful free tool for a technical SEO audit. It looks like a Windows 95 app, but it works better than tools that cost $200/mo.
3. Content & Design
Canva: Obviously. It’s basically the industry standard for quick high-end branding now.
Grammarly: I still run every single email and blog through this. Even with LLMs, you need a sanity check on your tone.
Mailchimp: Still the easiest way to start an email list, even if their "free" tier has shrunk over the years.
4. Analytics & User Data
Google Analytics (GA4): It’s a bit more complex than the version in the screenshot, but it’s still the gold standard for traffic.
Smartlook: If you aren't using session recordings to see where people get stuck on your site, you’re leaving money on the table.
One question for the OGs here...
I noticed Hootsuite and Zoho Social were both mentioned in the original thread. Back then, Hootsuite was the default, but I feel like their pricing has gone off the rails lately.
Is anyone still using Hootsuite’s free version, or have most of you moved to Zoho (or something like Buffer)? I’m looking for a reason not to switch, but I’m just not seeing it.
TL;DR: You don't need a $1,000/mo tech stack to start. Use the classics.
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