I've spent years inside two of the most AI-advanced companies on the planet. And I still think the average business owner is getting a raw deal when it comes to finding tools that actually work for them.
I've worked at Amazon and Uber — right in the middle of teams building AI products. The kind that end up in news stories and analyst reports. From the outside, it can look like everything is clear and coordinated.
It isn't.
Even inside companies with enormous budgets and hundreds of engineers, there's constant confusion about which tools to use for which problems. Teams duplicate work. Different groups build the same solution three different ways. Smart people get stuck in analysis paralysis because there are too many options and no clear way to evaluate them.
That question stuck with me. If this is what it looks like with all those resources and experts, what does it look like for a business owner who's also trying to run payroll, serve customers, and grow their company?
Here's the other side of it. I've also seen — up close — what these tools can do when they're used well. I spend most of my spare time testing new models, trying different tools, and watching how people actually use them. It's become a genuine obsession.
And the opportunity I've seen for small businesses is real. Not theoretical, not five years from now. Right now, with tools that exist today, that cost less than a Netflix subscription. Whether you're a one-person consultancy, a 10-person agency, or a local business owner who never wanted to become a "technology person" — there are tools that can make your work easier this week.
The problem isn't the technology. The problem is the noise between you and the right tool.
I want to be upfront: I'm not a guru or a consultant. I have a day job. I'm figuring this out the same way most people are.
What I do have is a lot of exposure to the AI ecosystem and a decent sense of what actually delivers value versus what's mostly marketing. I'm watching the new releases, following the research, and seeing how the future of work is taking shape in real time.
I built CuratedBizAI because I kept giving the same recommendations to the same types of people. A friend who runs a small agency. A family member with a local service business. Former colleagues who went independent. They all asked some version of the same question:
"Out of all these AI tools, which ones are actually worth trying for someone like me?"
This site is my attempt to answer that question honestly, at scale, and without the affiliate-bait energy that fills up every "best AI tools" listicle online.
CuratedBizAI is a directory of AI tools picked specifically for small business owners. Not tools that simply exist. Tools that:
It's still early. I'm continuing to test tools, talk to business owners, and add new recommendations. If you've found something that works well, something that disappointed you, or something you wish existed — I'd genuinely love to hear about it.
The best version of this site gets built with input from real people running real businesses. That's you.
One AI tool recommendation per week, written for small business owners. No noise, no fluff.