My AI Toolkit
Aug 2026
This recipe is the result of weeks of experimentation with various AI tools, free and paid APIs, IDEs and agents. This is what has worked for me, given my unique requirements.
When I embarked on this journey, I intentionally chose to go back to the basics: Git, Linux, VS Code, and then Cursor, to fully understand what was happening under the hood of AI-assisted coding. The more I experimented with these tools, the better I discovered their limitations and strengths.
I also found myself drawing on the 25-30 years spent in Enterprise technology, Architecture and System design, augmenting it with AI assistance as an efficient way to apply those fundamentals to my projects.
This repository chronicles my journey and shares some of those learnings in the spirit of open source. It will be a continuously evolving body of work, as I keep improving...
(If DIY is not your thing, buying a Claude Code or Codex subscription plan, and letting it handle all the decisions, may just be the easiest way for you to get started.)
1. Tool Matrix
| Category | Primary | Secondary | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| AI Chats | ChatGPT (Planning) | Gemini (Analysis) | DeepSeek (Atomic Edits) |
| Coding IDE | Cursor | VS Code | Cursor for daily work, VS Code for when limits run out |
| APIs | OpenAI (Free/Paid) | Gemini (Free/Paid) | Use paid APIs for quality, free for volume |
| Models | OpenRouter (Paid) | When you need to switch between models for coding / analysis |
2. APIs & BYOK Matrix
| Tool | Grok | OpenAI | Gemini | OpenRouter |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ChatGPT | — | Built-in | — | — |
| Gemini | — | — | Built-in | — |
| Cursor | ✅ Included | ✅ BYOK | ✅ BYOK | ❌ |
| VS Code | BYOK | BYOK | BYOK | ✅ |
| Personal Projects | — | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
3. What Each Is Best At
| Need | Default |
|---|---|
| Everyday Coding IDE | Cursor (Grok subscription) |
| Optional Coding IDE | VS Code + CoPilot + Paid/Free BYOK APIs |
| CLI Coding | Aider + Paid/Free BYOK APIs |
| Advanced Coding | Advanced BYOK APIs if your plan enables |
| High-quality AI Processing | Select Paid APIs if your plan enables |
| Bulk AI Processing | Free BYOK APIs but use throttles |
| Experiments | OpenRouter (Paid) + Model of choice |
ABC Ladder
🟢 A — Default (Use First)
- ChatGPT → Planning, Writing
- Cursor (Grok) → Coding
- DeepSeek Chat → Planning, Precise code edits
🟡 B — Better (Escalate)
Use when A isn't good enough.
- Cursor/VS Code + Paid BYOK APIs (if your plan enables)
- DeepSeek/ChatGPT for advanced reasoning and analyses
- Frontier Paid API current models for higher-quality
🔴 C — Specialist (As Needed)
- OpenRouter for latest (or older/cheaper) models
- VS Code for hands-on code generation
- DeepSeek/Claude/Gemini Chat for second opinion
This project chronicles ideas, decisions and lessons I have gleaned from building with AI. The goal is to help non-technical users get familiar with these tools and techniques, so that they may be able to use them effectively. At times, I have also made the use of AI tools to augment or refine the content.
Readers are responsible for using any commands or instructions published here with due caution. The creator of this site accepts no responsibility for any system damage, data loss or other consequences, resulting from the application of this content.