There's always a new automation platform. A better AI model. More features. Shinier interface. Better marketing.
I ignore most of them.
Not because they're bad. Some are genuinely better. But better tools don't always lead to better results.
Here's why I stick with simple, boring tools most of the time.
Simple tools are reliable.
The fanciest platforms have the most features. Which means the most complexity. Which means the most ways things can break.
I built an automation using a cutting-edge no-code platform. Beautiful interface. Incredible features. Could do things I couldn't easily do elsewhere.
Worked great for two weeks. Then the platform updated. Changed how one of their features worked. Broke my automation. Took me half a day to fix it.
Meanwhile, a simpler automation I built with basic tools kept running without issues. No updates to adapt to. No new features breaking old functionality. Just worked.
Reliability beats features. Especially for business automation that needs to run continuously without babysitting.
Simple tools are faster to learn.
Advanced platforms have steep learning curves. Documentation. Video tutorials. Certification courses. Hours of learning before you can build anything useful.
That's fine if you're using the tool full-time. But for consulting projects, I need to deliver value quickly. Can't spend a week learning a new platform for every project.
Simple tools I can learn in an afternoon. Start delivering value immediately. Ship projects faster.
Client doesn't care if I used the fanciest tool. They care if the automation works and was delivered on time.
Simple tools are easier to maintain.
When you build something complex with an advanced tool, only you understand it. Or you + anyone else who's invested time learning that specific platform.
If the client wants to modify it later, they need someone with that specialized knowledge. If they hire someone else, that person needs to learn the tool.
Simple tools are easier to hand off. More people know them. Documentation is straightforward. Changes are simpler.
I built an automation using a popular no-code tool with drag-and-drop workflows. Looked impressive. But when the client wanted changes six months later, they struggled to find someone who knew that specific platform.
Compare that to automations I built with simple scripts. Any developer can read them. Understand them. Modify them. No specialized training required.
Simple tools cost less.
Advanced platforms charge for advanced features. Monthly subscriptions. Usage fees. Enterprise pricing.
For complex use cases, worth it. But most small business automation doesn't need complex features.
Had a client using an enterprise automation platform. Paying $300 monthly. Their automation was basic. Data transfer between two systems. Could have done the same thing with a simple script and a free tier of a basic integration tool.
Switched them. Saved $3,600 annually. Same functionality. Lower cost. Actually more reliable because simpler.
Simple tools force better design.
When you have limited tools, you have to think carefully about the solution. Can't just throw features at the problem. Have to design efficiently.
That constraint often leads to better solutions. Simpler logic. Clearer processes. Less complexity.
I've seen automation built with advanced platforms that are over-engineered. Used fancy features because they were available. Not because they were necessary.
Those systems are nightmares. Hard to debug. Hard to modify. Hard to understand.
Simple tools don't let you over-engineer. You build what's needed. Nothing more.
When fancy tools actually matter.
I'm not saying never use advanced tools. Sometimes they're the right choice.
If you need specific advanced features that simple tools don't offer, use the advanced tool. If the client already uses a platform and wants everything in one place, work within that platform. If scale requires enterprise features, use enterprise tools.
But most small business automation doesn't need any of that.
They need data moved from Point A to Point B. Need reports generated automatically. Need orders routed correctly. Need reminders sent on schedule.
Simple problems. Simple tools work fine.
My typical tool stack is boring.
Zapier or Make for basic integrations. Python scripts for custom logic. Simple databases for data storage. Basic APIs for system connections. Cron jobs for scheduling.
Nothing cutting-edge. Nothing exciting. Tools that have existed for years. Well-documented. Well-understood. Proven.
Could I use fancier tools? Sure. Would projects be more impressive-sounding? Maybe. Would they work better? Probably not.
The test: Can someone else fix it?
If I get hit by a bus tomorrow, can someone else maintain the automation I built?
If I used some obscure advanced platform, probably not. They'd need to learn that platform first. Might be easier to rebuild from scratch.
If I used simple, common tools, yes. Any decent developer can pick it up. Read the code or workflow. Understand what it does. Make changes.
That's better for clients. Better for long-term maintainability. Better for everyone.
Technology changes fast. Fundamentals don't.
New tools come and go. Remember all the hot no-code platforms from five years ago that don't exist anymore? All the automation tools that pivoted or shut down?
Meanwhile, Python still exists. APIs still work the same way. Databases still store data. HTTP requests still transfer information.
Building on fundamentals means less risk of your tools disappearing. Less risk of vendor lock-in. Less risk of forced migrations when a platform pivots.
Boring and stable beats exciting and risky.
Clients don't care about the tech stack.
I used to think clients wanted to hear about the advanced tools I used. Thought it made me sound more expert.
They don't care. At all.
They care if the automation works. If it saves them time. If it's reliable. If it's affordable. If it solves their problem.
The tech stack is invisible to them. As it should be.
So why optimize for fancy tools that don't matter to the client and make the work harder for me?
Use the simplest tool that solves the problem. Ship it. Move on.
That's my approach. Works well. Keeps things maintainable. Keeps costs down. Keeps reliability high.
Boring wins.