Mid-Year Stack Update: What Changed

June stack review. The short version: the stack has not changed since May. This is a positive development.

A stable stack for two consecutive months means the tools are working, the integrations are working, and I have not found a new tool compelling enough to disrupt the current state. For context: at no point between 2021 and 2024 did I go two consecutive months without adding, removing, or significantly changing a tool. The stability is new. It is the result of having cut everything that didn't earn its place and adding nothing that didn't solve a specific identified problem.

What Adam Found in May

Adam found two things in May. One was a meeting summarization AI that showed genuine promise for a use case I don't have. One was a revised version of a tool I had previously evaluated and found cost-ineffective. The second one has improved significantly since my last evaluation. I am evaluating it again. I will report back in August.

Priya's Assessment

I told Priya the stack had been stable for two months. She said that was good and asked what the total monthly cost was. I told her $71. She said her notebook system costs $40 per year. I said the tools I use serve functions that a notebook cannot serve at the scale I need them. She said "of course." This is the most agreement we've reached on the tools question in eight months.

The stack is $71/month. It earns more than $71/month in recovered time and improved work quality. The math works. The Saturday mornings are free. The stack stays.