Start here · Setup
Choose your setup¶
Use the smallest tool that does your job. Bigger setups mean more power and more ways to make a mess.
The 2-minute picker¶
| If you want to… | Use this | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| Get advice or a one-off draft | A normal AI chat | Claude, ChatGPT, Gemini |
| Work with a few files you upload | A chat that accepts files | Claude, ChatGPT (attach the file) |
| Let AI read & edit a project folder | A folder agent | Claude Code, Cursor |
| Move info between apps automatically | An automation tool | Zapier, Make, n8n |
Start at the top. Move down only when the row above genuinely can't do the job.
What's the difference, in plain words?¶
Chat — you paste things in, it talks back. Nothing on your computer changes. Safest place to start.
Chat with files — same, but you attach a document and it can read it. Still can't change anything on your computer.
Folder agent — an AI that can open, create, and edit files inside a folder you choose. Powerful, and the reason this site talks so much about practice folders and checking results.
Automation tool — steps that run on their own ("when a form comes in, do X"). Only automate something after you've done it manually with AI a few times and trust the result.
One honest warning¶
Skipping ahead doesn't save time. People who start with a folder agent before they can write a clear request in chat usually end up back at chat anyway — just more frustrated.