Finding Practical Value from AI: Tools That Boost Coding, Writing, Video Editing, Research, and Travel Planning
AI is everywhere, but how are people really using these tools day to day? At a recent gathering of Seattle’s tech community, professionals shared the AI tools they rely on and how these tools add real value to their work and personal lives. Here’s a clear look at those insights, focused especially on writing and related creative tasks.
Joe Heitzeberg, Founder of AI Tinkerers
Favorite tools: Granola, Amp
Joe uses Granola to automatically join meetings and take notes without distraction. For coding, he prefers Amp, which he finds more effective than other code assistants. It understands his instructions well and integrates smoothly with his existing code.
Mamtha Banerjee, Managing Director at JPMorgan Chase
Favorite tool: Perplexity Comet
Though Mamtha doesn’t use it extensively, Perplexity Comet changed how she views a browser—almost like an operating system that redefines browsing.
Gayathri (G3) Venkataraman, CEO at Dodda AI
Favorite tools: Perplexity, ChatGPT, Microsoft Copilot
G3 uses these tools broadly, from planning tasks to travel arrangements. They help her check if she’s missing anything in her plans and assist with household shopping.
Beth Kolko, Investment Partner at Pioneer Fund
Favorite tool: Claude
Beth uses Claude for travel planning and learning about new places. Professionally, it helps her with writing and speaking by synthesizing her existing materials.
Ti Zhao, Partner at Pack Ventures
Favorite tool: Claude
Ti relies on Claude to overcome the blank-page problem. It helps plan workouts, meals, dinner parties, and entertaining ideas. While he doesn’t trust everything it generates, it provides a solid list of ideas to build on.
Joe Golden, Founder and CEO at Paper2Audio
Favorite tools: Google Gemini Flash 2.0, OpenAI o3
For his business that converts research papers to audio, Joe uses Gemini Flash 2.0 due to its speed and cost-effectiveness. For medical research, especially after a family member's diagnosis, he finds OpenAI o3 invaluable for quickly understanding new fields.
Darian Parrish, Founder and CEO at PwrOn
Favorite tool: Poe
Darian values Poe for access to multiple AI models. He also uses various coding tools like Windsurf and Replit, estimating his software creation speed is 30 times faster thanks to AI assistance.
Markiesha Patrice, Startup Community Lead at Nebius
Favorite tool: Descript
Markiesha works a lot with video content and finds Descript simple and time-saving, especially for those without technical backgrounds.
Gregory Kennedy, Chief Vibe Marketer at Vibe Your SaaS
Favorite tools: Claude, Canva
Gregory uses Claude as a writing assistant, comparing it to an intern that gets ideas started. He also praises Canva’s AI tools for quick and easy creation of marketing visuals, including moving backgrounds and graphic manipulation.
Elizabeth Russo, CEO at adyn
Favorite tool: Claude
Elizabeth uses Claude mainly to draft emails to potential partners and investors. It helps her overcome writer’s block and procrastination by providing a starting point she can improve.
Xuchen Yao, Co-founder and CEO at Seasalt.ai
Favorite tool: Warp
Xuchen uses Warp for “vibe coding,” giving terminal instructions directly. He also translates blogs into multiple languages and performs code reviews with it.
Robert Mao, Architect at AIGNE
Favorite tool: AIGNE
Robert enjoys coding but dislikes writing design documents. His team is building a tool that uses AI to turn rough design ideas or code into polished documents, saving time and effort.
For writers looking to enhance productivity, tools like Claude and ChatGPT offer strong support for writing drafts, overcoming blocks, and synthesizing content. Visual creators benefit from platforms like Canva and Descript for quick and accessible editing. Coders and developers can accelerate their workflow with assistants like Amp, Warp, and Poe.
Interested in improving your AI skills for writing or other creative tasks? Explore courses tailored for writers at Complete AI Training to find practical, no-fluff guidance on these tools and more.
Your membership also unlocks:
