✂️ Simplifying Stage

The Simplifier's
Audit

Cut the bloat. Keep what works. Save thousands.

Notion
Linear
Zapier
Slack
1Password

What's Inside

1

Tool Inventory

Audit every subscription, tool, and service you're paying for

2

Cost Calculator

What you're paying vs. what you actually need

3

Migration Planner

Phased plan to consolidate without breaking things

4

Decision Matrix

Weighted framework: keep, cut, replace, or downgrade

SECTION 01

Tool Inventory

List everything. Be ruthless, include every subscription.

Complete Tool Audit

#ToolCategoryMonthly $Annual $UsersLast UsedEssential?
1Dev / Design / Mktg / Analytics / Comms / PM / Finance✅ ⚠️ ❌
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12

Category Summary

Category# of ToolsMonthly $Annual $Overlap?
Development
Design
Communication
Project Management
Marketing
Analytics
Finance / Billing
Other
TOTAL$$
🔍 Look For

Tools with overlapping features (e.g., Notion + Confluence + Google Docs). Tools nobody logged into in the last 30 days. Plans that are way above your actual usage.

SECTION 02

Cost Calculator

See the real numbers. What you're paying vs. what you need.

Current Spend

CategoryCurrent Tool(s)Monthly $Annual $
Hosting / Infra
Database
Auth
Email (transactional)
Email (marketing)
Analytics
Error tracking
Communication
Project management
Design
AI / Dev tools
Other
TOTAL$$

Optimized Spend

CategoryRecommended ToolMonthly $Annual $Savings
HostingVercel (free → Pro $20)
Database + AuthSupabase (free → Pro $25)
EmailResend ($0-20/mo)
AnalyticsPostHog (free tier)
Error trackingSentry (free tier)
CommunicationSlack (free tier)
Project managementLinear (free → $8/user)
Passwords1Password ($8/user)
TOTAL$$
💸 Your Annual Savings
Current
$_____
Optimized
$_____
=
You Save
$_____
SECTION 03

Migration Planner

Move fast without breaking things. Three phases, four weeks.

Phase 1: Quick Wins. Week 1

Tools to cut immediately: unused, duplicate, or free alternatives exist.

Tool to RemoveActionReplacementRiskDone?
Cancel / DowngradeLow

Phase 2: Consolidation. Weeks 2-3

Merge overlapping tools into fewer, better ones.

Tools to MergeIntoData to MigrateStepsDone?

Phase 3: Optimization. Week 4

Downgrade plans, negotiate contracts, lock in annual billing.

ToolActionExpected SavingsDone?
Downgrade tier
Renegotiate
Switch to annual

Per-Tool Migration Checklist

Export all data from old tool
Verify data is complete and accessible
Import / set up data in new tool
Test core workflows in new tool
Update team documentation
Notify team of the switch
Set a "sunset date" for old tool (2-week overlap)
Cancel old tool subscription
Remove old tool logins from password manager
Update any integrations / webhooks
SECTION 04

Decision Matrix

A framework for every "should I keep this?" decision.

Weighted Scoring

For each tool you're considering changing, score these factors:

FactorWeightScore (1-10)Weighted Score
Cost savings25%
Reduced complexity20%
Team productivity impact20%
Migration difficulty15%
Data portability10%
Feature coverage of replacement10%
TOTAL100%/10
📊 Decision Thresholds
8-10 Strong candidate. Proceed with migration.
6-7 Good candidate. Plan carefully.
4-5 Marginal. Only as part of larger simplification.
1-3 Keep as-is. Switching costs outweigh benefits.

Tool Decisions

ToolDecisionReasonMonthly SavingsTimeline
Keep / Cut / Replace / Downgrade

The "Do I Really Need This?" Test

1
If this tool disappeared tomorrow, would I notice within a week?
No → Cut it.
2
Is another tool I already use doing 80% of this?
Yes → Consolidate.
3
Am I on a higher plan than I need?
Yes → Downgrade.
4
When did someone last log into this?
30+ days ago → Flag for review.
5
Does this tool spark joy? (seriously)
No → Find one that does, or go without.

Recommended Tool Stack

Everything Hub
Notion
Docs, wikis, databases, notes. Replace 3-4 tools with one.
Project Tracking
Linear
Fast, keyboard-first. Replaces Jira + Trello + Asana.
Automation
Zapier
Connect the tools you keep. Automate the repetitive stuff.
Communication
Slack
One channel for everything. Kill the email threads.
Passwords
1Password
Team security without the headache. Shared vaults.

Build with fewer tools.

Curated stacks for every stage of building.

fewertools.com