Half of this has probably been swapped out in six months. That’s the point.
How the list is organized
Ten categories. The first five match the minimum stack from Layer 5. The last five are product-management specific.
For each category: 3–5 tools I either use myself, have seen work well, or think are worth a look. Short descriptions. No affiliate links, no recommendations I don’t stand behind.
Three principles for choosing
If you’re facing a blank choice:
- Pick what your team is already close to. An okay tool the team uses 100% beats a perfect tool the team uses 30%.
- Pick open standards over closed ecosystems. MCP beats proprietary plugins. API-based integrations beat native-only.
- Pick what you can switch away from. If it takes you a day to migrate to an alternative, you’re in a good position. If it takes three months, you’re locked in.
What the list doesn’t cover
I’ve deliberately written the short version. There are hundreds of tools in every category. But more names rarely help, they just increase choice anxiety.
If you think an obvious tool is missing, write to me. I update the list continuously based on input.