What SaaS are you paying for – and what excites you?

General
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Keen to hear what tools other analysts are using and paying for!

Right now, I’m paying for two:

  • ChatGPT Plus – totally worth it for writing support, idea generation, and helping me think through complex systems and policy problems
  • Lovable.dev – I’ve just signed up, and I’m really excited! It’s a no-code/low-code app builder that’s helping me prototype a few app ideas I’ve had floating around for a while. These are based on real opportunities I’ve come across, but I hadn’t had the tech skills or time to build them before.

My favourite free tools:
:brain: Goblin Tools – great for breaking down tasks and managing executive function
:camera_with_flash: Pexels and Unsplash – super useful for sourcing good-quality images

What about you?
What SaaS are you paying for (or tempted by)? And what tools are helping you do your mahi better? Whether for productivity, prototyping, writing, or just making life a bit easier?

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I’m too scared to write it all down :joy: - I’m a firm believer that you need the right tools to do the job, so here goes :grimacing::

General productivity:

  • Microsoft suite (Email, Teams, docs etc)

Visualisation tools:

  • Lucid (my go to - probably used more than any other tool!)
  • Canva (mainly driven from interacting with clients who use it)

AI tools:

  • Contented (for meeting notes and insights)
  • ChatGPT (for everything else)
  • Copilot (to check in every now and then to see if it has improved :joy:)

Low code tools:

  • Airtable (for exploring options in low code - my go to choice at the moment for internally facing tools!)
  • Make (for integrations)

Community building:

  • LinkedIn Premium (useful in my world but pricey!)
  • Meetup (for running meetups!)

Finance:

  • Hnry (my accounting tool)
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Lucid chart is my fav diagramming tool. Although I probably use Miro more in my current role as I really like that it doubles as an effective digital whiteboard.

Visio is the devil and I think it should be relegated back to hell.

I’ll have to check out contented.

I’ve used air table before and quite liked it. As we are a M/S shop I use SharePoint lists which I think is its closest equivalent.

I think I would use Hnry if I started consulting. It seems like a great effective SME accounting tool.

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Oh gosh. This feels like a confession hah!

Here’s my list:

  1. Proton Mail & Drive (I’ve been making efforts to move away from Google – which is so so so hard)
  2. Miro
  3. Zoom
  4. Claude (Though it feels like ChatGPT made some serious progress on Claude so have been investigating switching)
  5. Xero (I should have done Hnry but didn’t and here we are)

I have a number of other subs but those are related to website / writing / drawing / other chaotic plans ha ha!

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I feel like we need to organise a debate to pit Lucid and Miro supporters against each other! Fight to the death - with the winner becoming the grand champion of online visualisation & collaboration tools so we can officially recommend a single solution for NZ BAs :rofl:!!

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Ha ha. I’m not sure I’d fight for Miro to be honest… Like you said, it is a case of client preference that drives a bunch of these decisions!

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Have just downloaded Contented based on your recommendation! thank you!

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