My $11,899 Tech Stack, Reviewed

A full breakdown of what I’m keeping, cutting, and questioning after reviewing every tool I used this year.

Dec 11, 2025

I just fired myself from 37 different jobs.

Well, technically, I hired software to do them instead.

This year, I ran my consulting business without a single employee or office. Just me, my laptop, and 51 tools that handle everything from client bookings to podcast editing.

The cost? $11,899 Australian dollars (approx $7900 USD).

I LOVE tech, in fact, trying new tools a go is a hobby of mine, but I need to keep it in check.

So, I sat down to audit which tools to keep or flick, and I’m sharing my entire solopreneur tech stack with you in this article.

Tech audit time! Here’s the full breakdown.

Btw, when you’re running a one-person business, the line between business and personal tech blurs.

Therefore, I’ve included ALL the tech I used this year including fitness apps, to streaming services.

Here’s the emoji guide/how I evaluated each tool:

✅✅✅ I REALLY loved the tool this year
✅ Keep
❌ Cut
🤔 Reconsider

Two tech tips before we dive in

Tip 1: Your existing tools are quietly getting better

I discovered something interesting during this audit: tech tools are improving at lightning speed, often adding features that could replace other subscriptions entirely.

For example:

Google Calendar now has an inbuilt scheduler that could potentially replace Calendly for basic appointment booking.
The only reason I’m keeping Calendly is their paid booking feature - people can pay when they schedule, which Google doesn’t offer yet.

Tip 2: The one-month experiment strategy

When I want to test a new tool, I have a simple rule: buy it for one month, then immediately cancel the subscription.

This gives me 30 days to properly evaluate it without the mental load of remembering to cancel later. If the tool proves its worth, I can always resubscribe. If not, I’m automatically out after the trial period.

You’ll see this strategy throughout my audit - tools like Perplexity AI, Tavus AI, and Luma were all one-month experiments.

Here’s the category breakdown:

Media and content creation: $3775
Operations: $2720
AI tools: $1,067
Marketing: $1,912
Hybrid tools: $175
Entertainment and streaming: $1262
Fitness: $988

Here’s the detail…

Media and content creation: $3775

Content is my primary revenue driver, so I’m willing to pay premium here. The test? Does this tool help me create content faster, better, or reach more people?

Auphonic - $40/year ❌ Improves the quality of your audio
Hello Audio and Descript both handle audio levelling now, so no need to keep this. Cancelled.
Buzzsprout - $202/year ✅ Podcast hosting
I host my OG podcast, “First Time Facilitator” here, and every now and then I release pop-up episodes, so keeping it.
Descript - $469/year ✅✅✅ (my fave tool on the planet) Video/audio editing
This tool literally enables my daily podcast, Leanne on Demand. Edit, caption, transcribe - everything happens here. The AI Underlord feature is incredible.
Hello Audio - $1,491/year ✅✅✅ for private podcasting
My most expensive subscription IS my highest revenue generator. I use this tool to create private podcasts for a variety of different clients/products/services/scenarios. Listen to my podcast about private podcasts (so meta!).
Kahoot - $31/month 🤔 for trivia/quizzes
Perfect for client trivia events, but testing monthly activation instead of annual.
Podpage - $239/year ✅ Generates beautiful podcast websites from your RSS feed.
Set-and-forget automation that creates professional podcast landing pages, it creates my daily podcast episode website with one click.
Restream - $300/year ✅ Professional streaming to LinkedIn, YouTube, etc.
Found this when Streamyard failed mid-livestream with Alan Weiss. Sometimes your backup becomes better than your original choice. Watch our latest episode of Talk the Walk
Slido - $87/year ✅ Q&A and polling platform for events.
The ROI: Workshop essential that pays for itself in one corporate gig. Handy to. have to use for interaction.
Stan Store - $193/year ❌ Social commerce platform that turns your social media into a money-making machine.”
Stripe links do the same job for free.
Streamyard - $446/year ❌ Live streaming studio in your browser
Platform crashed just before a live show. I ended up switching to Restream mid-year, which is more affordable.
Zoom - $277/year ✅ Reliable video platform
Every client call, mastermind, podcast recording runs through Zoom. At $277/year for unlimited professional meetings, it’s the cheapest business infrastructure on earth.

Operations: $2720

These tools keep my business running without me having to think about them. The goal? Automate the boring stuff so I can focus on revenue-generating activities. Every tool here either prevents problems or eliminates manual work.

Calendly - $229/year 🤔 Meeting scheduler tool
The dilemma: Google Calendar now has scheduling built-in, but Calendly handles paid consultations seamlessly. The paid booking feature alone might justify keeping this for now.
Dropbox - $187/year ✅ File storage
Every file syncs automatically. If my laptop died tomorrow, I’d lose nothing. Peace of mind for a solo business is worth way more than $187.
iCloud Storage - $180/year ✅ Apple’s cloud storage service for seamless file sync across devices.
Take photo on your phone, access everywhere instantly.
Loom - $152/year ✅✅✅ Video messaging tool that helps you get your message across through recorded videos.
This tool saves me SO MUCH TIME, and from so many meetings, and helps me collaborate with other time-zones easily. I use it for proposal walkthroughs, client feedback, share details about upcoming events, and to roast people.
Loom is an interesting example of how a brilliant UX creates loyalty. Descript can actually do what Loom does, but Loom just does it so flawlessly, fast and friendly. I did a breakdown between the two tools and how I use both in this episode: 🌴295. Tech Talk: Descript vs Loom
Luma - $99/month (one month only) ✅ Event ticketing platform
The strategy: Upgraded for Con Con launch month to avoid paying 5% commission on ticket sales. After Con Con sold out within 10 days, I cancelled premium but it’s worth paying the monthly fee to save on-costs.
Microsoft 365 - $192/year ✅ Includes premium versions of Office apps
I dislike Microsoft, and I hate Microsoft Teams especially…But some of my clients use it, hence why I’m on the bandwagon.
Squarespace - $754/year ✅ Website hosting
Three of my websites are hosted on Squarespace: leannehughes.com, firsttimefacilitator.com and The 2-Hour Workshop Blueprint site.
Xero - $927/year ✅ Online accounting software
Professional accounting software prevents expensive mistakes and keeps the tax office happy, I pay a bit more to handle multiple currency payments as I work with clients around the world. I’m liking the recent AI upgrades: 🌴344. The Xero update I didn’t know I needed

AI tools: $1,067

AI changes weekly, but I use different AI LLMs for different types of work rather than forcing one tool to do everything.

ChatGPT Pro - $355/year ✅ Conversational AI model
Chat GPT isn’t actually the best tool but I pay for this subscription because it has SO much context on me that is sometimes helpful to work with… but I wish I’d started with Google Gemini. I do like Sora AI though.
Claude AI - $112/year ✅ AI assistant created by Anthropic
More natural writing voice for specific content types.
Manus AI - $486/year ❌ Intelligent automation solutions for businesses.
Manus had AI agents before ChatGPT caught up. Now that ChatGPT does it, I’ve cancelled this.
Perplexity AI - $29/year (one month) ❌ Accurate answers with cited sources.”
Great research tool, but ChatGPT and Gemini caught up quickly. One month was enough to evaluate.
Tavus AI - $85/year (one month) ❌ AI video generation platform that creates personalised videos at scale.
I trialled this out for a month for an AI avatar experiment.

Marketing: $1,912

Marketing tools need to either generate leads directly or save me massive time in outreach and relationship building.

Canva - $216/year ✅ Graphic design platform
Professional-looking graphics without design skills.
Kit.com - $800/year 🤔 Email marketing platform built for creators who sell online.
Eek, this is hard. I haven’t sent newsletters through Kit for the last six months (hello, Substack), but my free downloadable lead magnets are still available here.
Instagram Verification - $23/year ❌ Blue tick verification service.
I’m just giving this a go this month and see if anything happens? Btw, are we connected?
LinkedIn Premium - $704/year ❌ Access to insights about who’s viewed your profile, InMail credits, and advanced search filters.”
The reality: Paying $704 to see who viewed my profile feels ridiculous when written down. Maybe I’ll cancel over the next month or two, and see what happens. I don’t really use all the features
Pickfu - $169/project ✅ eRsearch platform that provides real consumer insights in minutes.
Market research for book titles and business decisions. When your book title determines success, $169 for real human feedback is smart risk management. I’ll use it again when I write my book next year.

Hybrid tools: $175

I call these hybrid because they’re tech tools used for lifestyle efficiency.

Amazon Prime - $79/year ✅ Fast shipping, streaming, and other benefits.”
Fast shipping for business supplies and personal needs. I have saved a fortune on free and fast delivery.
Uber One - $96/year ✅ Provides discounts and benefits across Uber and Uber Eats.
Discounted rides to client meetings and events and when I’m travelling. I continue to save a LOT having this subscription.

My Uber rating is 4.75. Trying to think of that time I slammed a door? Oh, and check out my friend, Sally Prosser’s new book, Voice Print.

Entertainment and streaming: $1262

Kayo Sport - $360/year ✅ Australia’s sports streaming service
Need this for my sporting fix.
Netflix - $252/year 🤔 Streaming service
I’ll keep it for Stranger Things Season 5 and reconsider… (ahh, who are we kidding, I’ve had Netflix for so long, I’ll never cancel. Just when you think you should cancel, they bring out a brilliant new show..)
Paramount Plus - $98/year 🤔 Streaming service
The seasonality: Purely for A-League football (Go the Roar!). I’ll cancel at the end of the seasom.
Spotify Duo - $276/year ✅ Digital music service
Mandatory. I have hundreds of playlists, hate ads and use this every day during my runs and work.
YouTube Premium - $276/year ✅✅✅ “Watch videos ad-free, download content, and play videos in the background.”
The ROI: Time saved not watching ads makes this a productivity tool disguised as entertainment. Best purchase IMO.

Fitness: $988

I am obsessed with fitness data, I have 3 wearables now (Apple Watch, Garmin Fenix 6s and the Oura Ring).

Oura Ring - $109/year ✅ Smart ring that tracks your sleep, activity, and recovery.
Sleep and recovery insights that drive better performance decisions. Though, I usually only check my ‘Readiness’ score after I’ve done a workout. I do like how it shows whether you have minor or major symptoms before you feel them. I think I’ve avoided getting sick a few times because of this feature alone.
Peloton - $780/year ✅✅✅ Connected fitness products with live and on-demand classes.
I use this app daily use for cardio, strength, meditation, stretching. We have both the Tread and the Bike+ (although you can do the classes on any tread or bike). I love the instructors, the community, the music, everything about this company.
Strava Premium - $99/year ✅ Social fitness network
Training analysis and health pattern recognition. Also, just fun to support friends on there. When you pay for the subscription, you also get to become a ‘Local Legend’ on certain routes. I also love the flyovers, see the below video from my Nepal hike.

Okay, that’s it!

What do you think?

What tool am I missing?
What’s a tool you can’t live without?

Let me know!

Discussion about this post

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