Every tool I’ve dropped from my stack shared the same story: something better came along that was simpler, smarter, or both. Evernote gave way to Notion once I realized I could collapse three separate tools into one workspace. Notetaker bots gave way to Granola once clients started noticing the bot in the call. Here are the seven tools I’ve stopped using, and exactly what replaced each one.
Quick Verdict
- The pattern: every tool I dropped got replaced by something that did one thing exceptionally well, or removed friction the old tool was adding.
- Biggest wins: Notion collapsing three tools into one, and Granola removing the “recording bot” awkwardness from client calls.
- What I’m watching now: Capacities, OpenClaw, and newer Claude features that could displace pieces of my current stack.
The 7 Tools at a Glance
| Dropped | Replaced With | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Evernote | Notion | Search got worse over time; Notion collapsed notes, tasks, and projects into one workspace |
| OmniFocus | Notion, then simpler systems | The elaborate setup took more time to manage than the actual work |
| Copy.ai | Claude | General-purpose AI models got better at writing than dedicated writing tools |
| Meeting notetaker bots | Granola | The visible recording bot made client calls feel less candid |
| Google Search (for research) | ChatGPT + Perplexity | Synthesized answers beat sifting through a list of links |
| Manual meeting prep | AI briefing agents (Lindy) | 45-60 minutes of googling and note-checking, automated to zero |
| Multi-tool automation chains | Lindy | Debugging a five-tool Zapier/Make/Airtable chain was a nightmare; agents that reason handle edge cases rules can’t |
1. Evernote → Notion
I used Evernote for years. Built elaborate tag hierarchies. Had notebooks for everything. Did my weekly review there using templates and Text Expander snippets.
Why I left: Evernote got slow. The search got worse, not better. The mobile app was unreliable. And when Notion came along with relational databases, real collaboration, and a single workspace for notes, tasks, and projects… there was no contest.
The final push was when I realized I could do everything in Notion that I was doing across three separate tools. Notes in Evernote, tasks in OmniFocus, projects in spreadsheets. Notion collapsed all of that into one place.
What I’d tell current Evernote users: If you’re still on Evernote and it works for you, fine. But if you’ve felt the slowness creeping in, try Notion for a month. The migration is a pain, but you only do it once.
2. OmniFocus → Notion (and then simpler systems)
Back in 2008 when I started my productivity journey, I built the most elaborate OmniFocus setup you can imagine. Color-coded contexts for energy levels. Tags for task duration. Custom perspectives for every scenario. It was beautiful and completely unsustainable.
Why I left: I was spending more time managing the system than doing the work. The clients I worked with had the same problem. When I’d show them my OmniFocus setup, their eyes would glaze over. But when I’d strip it down to “write down three things to do today,” they’d light up with relief. “That’s it?”
The simple solutions were always the most powerful. I moved to Notion for task management because it was flexible enough to grow with me but simple enough that I’d actually use it every day.
What I’d tell current OmniFocus users: If you love the power, keep it. But if you secretly know your system is too complicated and you avoid opening the app… that’s your answer.
3. Copy.ai → Claude
When AI writing tools first appeared, Copy.ai was one of the early players. I recommended it on the podcast back in 2022 for emails, blog posts, and web copy. You’d type a prompt and get a starting point for your writing.
Why I left: Claude happened. And ChatGPT happened. The general-purpose AI models got so good at writing that dedicated writing tools like Copy.ai became unnecessary. Why pay for a specialized writing tool when Claude produces better output and does a hundred other things too?
Copy.ai has evolved since then… they’ve moved more toward sales and marketing automation. But for pure writing assistance, a Claude Pro subscription at $20/month does more than Copy.ai ever did.
What I’d tell current Copy.ai users: If you’re using it for sales workflows and marketing automation, it might still make sense. But if you’re using it just for writing? Switch to Claude or ChatGPT. You’ll get better writing quality and way more versatility.
4. Meeting Notetaker Bots → Granola
I went through several meeting notetaker tools. Otter.ai. Fireflies. A couple others I’ve already forgotten. They all worked the same way: a bot joins your Zoom call, records everything, and generates a transcript.
Why I left: The bot. People hated it. Every call started with someone asking “who is Fireflies?” or “is that recording us?” It changed the dynamic of conversations. Especially with new prospects or sensitive discussions, having a visible recording bot in the meeting felt invasive.
Granola solved this completely. It runs locally on my Mac. No bot joins the call. Nobody sees anything. It just quietly listens and takes notes. After the meeting, I get a clean summary with action items. The quality is better than the bots, and the social awkwardness is gone.
What I’d tell current Otter/Fireflies users: If your meetings are all internal and everyone’s comfortable with the bot, those tools work fine. But if you do client calls, sales calls, or any external meetings… try Granola. The no-bot approach changes everything.
5. Google Search (for research) → ChatGPT + Perplexity
This one surprised me. I used to start every research task with Google. Need to check a competitor’s pricing? Google. Need to understand a new concept? Google. Need to find a restaurant? Google.
Why I left: Not entirely… I still use Google for specific things. But for research questions where I need a synthesized answer rather than a list of links? ChatGPT and Perplexity are dramatically faster.
Think of it like this: Google gives you 10 links and hopes you find the answer. ChatGPT gives you the answer and lets you ask follow-up questions. For competitive analysis, pricing research, and concept learning, I reach for ChatGPT first now. For real-time research with sources, Perplexity is even better.
What I’d tell heavy Google searchers: You don’t have to quit Google. But next time you have a research question, try asking ChatGPT first. If the answer is good enough, you just saved yourself 15 minutes of tab-hopping.
6. Manual Meeting Prep → AI Briefing Agents
Before I built my meeting prep agent, I’d spend 10-15 minutes before every call doing research. Googling the person. Checking LinkedIn. Looking at past emails. Reading old notes. With four to six meetings a day, that’s easily an hour of prep.
Why I stopped: I built an agent in Lindy that does all of this automatically. Every morning at 7am, I get a briefing with every meeting, who’s attending, their background, and context from our past interactions. Thirty minutes before each call, I get a nudge with a summary.
What used to take 45-60 minutes of scattered prep now takes zero effort. I glance at the briefing over coffee. Done.
What I’d tell manual preppers: Even if you don’t want to build a full agent, start by asking ChatGPT to research someone before a meeting. Paste their LinkedIn URL and your calendar invite. It takes 30 seconds and you’ll walk in more prepared.
7. Complex Multi-Tool Automation Stacks → Lindy
I used to build automations by stitching together five or six different tools. Zapier for triggers, Make for complex logic, Airtable for data, Google Sheets for reporting, and some custom scripts to hold it all together. It worked, but debugging was a nightmare. When one tool updated their API, the whole chain would break.
Why I switched: Lindy handles most of what I was building across multiple platforms. One interface, one set of integrations, and agents that can reason about what to do instead of following rigid if-then logic. I still use Zapier for simple connections, but my complex workflows live in Lindy now.
The other option I’ve been testing is OpenClaw, which is open-source and more flexible if you’re technical. I’ve been porting some Lindy workflows to OpenClaw to compare.
What I’d tell automation builders: If your Zapier workflows have more than five steps and you spend time debugging them regularly, look at Lindy or OpenClaw. The agent-based approach handles edge cases that rigid automation can’t.
The Pattern
Looking back, every tool I dropped had the same problem: something better came along that was either simpler, smarter, or both.
The tools that survive in my stack share three qualities:
- They do one thing exceptionally well. Granola does meeting notes. Superhuman does email. Claude does thinking.
- They reduce friction instead of adding it. Granola removed the awkward bot. Notion combined three tools into one. AI agents removed manual prep.
- They get better over time. The tools I keep investing in are the ones that ship meaningful updates. Notion’s AI features. Claude’s coding improvements. Lindy’s agent capabilities.
If a tool in your stack doesn’t meet those three criteria, it might be time to look around.
What I’m Watching Now
A few tools on my radar that could displace something in my current stack:
- Capacities — could challenge Notion for individual knowledge management. The object-based model is interesting.
- OpenClaw — could replace some of my Lindy workflows if the managed hosting gets more polished.
- New Claude features — Claude Code keeps getting better. If Anthropic adds more integrations, it could absorb some of what I use Lindy for.
The stack is never final. Something I’m paying for today will get replaced by something better in six months. That’s not a bug. That’s how this space works.
FAQ
Should I switch tools just because something new launched?
No. Every tool on this list got dropped because it stopped solving my actual problem — not because something newer existed. Evernote didn’t lose to Notion on launch day; it lost after years of getting slower while Notion kept closing the gap. Switch when a real friction point shows up, not because a tool is trending.
What’s the biggest mistake people make when replacing a tool?
Migrating everything at once. When I moved off Evernote, the temptation was to dump years of notes into Notion in one weekend. That’s how migrations stall. Move the things you actually use weekly first, and let the rest sit until you need it.
Is it worth paying for a tool you might replace in six months?
Yes, if it’s solving today’s problem. Every tool I’ve listed here earned its keep while I used it — Copy.ai was worth it in 2022, even though Claude replaced it later. Don’t hold off on a tool that fixes a real bottleneck just because something better might exist eventually.
How do I know when a tool has actually stopped working for me, versus me just wanting something new?
Ask whether you’re avoiding opening it. That was my signal with OmniFocus — I knew the system was too complicated because I dreaded looking at it. If you’re still opening a tool daily and it’s doing its job, that’s not a tool to replace. That’s a tool that’s working.
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