About Alan McCarthy

Alan McCarthy

Writer, researcher, and recovering over-engineer.

I've spent the better part of my career watching technology promise to make work easier — and usually make it more complicated instead. AI is different. Not because the hype is right, but because some of it actually is.

What I Do

I test AI tools so you don’t have to waste your subscription budget finding out they’re not worth it.

I’m not affiliated with the tools I review (unless I say so). I don’t get paid to say something is good. When something is overpriced or overhyped, I say that too.

The focus here is narrow by design: AI tools for people running a business alone, or nearly alone. Solopreneurs, freelancers, consultants, small teams. Not enterprise. Not developers building their own stack. People who need tools that work without a six-week onboarding process.

The Guides

Alongside the reviews, I write practical guides — prompt packs, templates, playbooks — things I actually use to run my own work. They live at my store. If you find the reviews useful, the guides go deeper.

Background

Over 25 years working across technology, operations, and business strategy. Started using AI tools seriously in 2022. Spent the years since figuring out which ones actually hold up in daily use — and writing about the ones that do.

Based in the northeastern United States.

Have a question, a tool you think I should review, or just want to say something? You can reach me through the store.