Hey there,
Welcome to the first edition of Mediaverse Labs.
Every week a new AI tool promises to change everything. Most of them end up as another monthly charge you forget to cancel.
So let's start simple: the AI stack I actually use, the tools I quit, and how to build your own without wasting money.
The Big Idea: your AI stack needs 3 layers, not 30 tools
Most people collect AI tools like apps on a phone. They sign up, play for a day and forget. Then the bills arrive.
I think about my stack in three layers:
1. Think. One AI assistant for writing, research and planning. I use Claude for writing and ChatGPT for everything else. You only need one to start.
2. Make. Tools that turn ideas into something people can see or hear. Canva for visuals, CapCut for short videos, ElevenLabs for voiceovers.
3. Move. Tools that do the repetitive work for you. Zapier or n8n for automations, and beehiiv to get everything in front of an audience.
That's it. Seven tools cover almost everything I do online.
The 5 I quit
AI writing apps that are just ChatGPT with a new logo. Same output, extra bill.
All-in-one "AI SEO article generators". Thin content ranks for a while, then it doesn't.
AI logo generators. Canva does the job well enough.
Browser extensions that summarise every page. I never read the summaries.
Meeting bots I set up and forgot. Now I only record the calls that matter.
Your action today: open your card statement and list every AI tool you pay for. Put each one in a layer: Think, Make or Move. If two tools sit in the same layer and do the same job, cancel one.
3 Tools Worth Trying
NotebookLM: upload your PDFs, notes or videos and ask questions about them. My take: the best free research tool around right now.
Ideogram: AI images with text that's actually readable. My take: perfect for thumbnails and ad creatives.
Opus Clip: turns one long video into short clips with captions. My take: one webinar becomes a week of content.
Prompt of the Week
Paste this into ChatGPT or Claude, then add your list of paid AI tools at the end:
Act as a no-nonsense business advisor. Below is a list of the AI tools I pay for and what each one costs per month. Sort them into three layers: Think (writing, research, planning), Make (images, video, audio) and Move (automation, publishing). Flag any tools that overlap, tell me which ones I could cancel without losing anything important, and suggest a free alternative for each paid tool. Finish with my total monthly saving if I follow your advice.
From the Lab
Missed the toolkit? The AI Money Toolkit has all 30 tools I use, 20 copy-and-paste prompts and 3 money plays you can start this week. Free.
Know someone drowning in AI tools? Forward them this email. They can join here: newsletter.mediaverselabs.com
Quick Hits
OpenAI released GPT-6 Sol and GPT-6 Luna. Cheaper models for everyday work, and OpenAI says Sol makes about half as many mistakes as the model it replaces.
Meta launched Muse, an AI agent inside WhatsApp that books and buys things for you. US only for now, but it hit the top of the app stores in days. Worth watching if you sell anything online.
OpenAI shut down the Sora API on 24 September. If your video workflow depended on it, it's time to switch tools.
Talk soon, Carlos
P.S. What's the one AI tool you couldn't live without? Hit reply and tell me. I'll share the most popular answers in a future edition.