My 2026 AI Stack for Small Business (And What I'm Ditching)

I'm doing something most business owners avoid: taking an honest look at what I'm actually using versus what I'm just paying for. My tech stack has evolved dramatically over the past year, and not always in the ways I expected. Some tools I swore I'd use every day are gathering digital dust. Others have become so essential I can't imagine working without them. Here's what made the cut for 2026—and what didn't.

Here's the truth most people won't tell you: the best AI stack isn't the one with the most tools—it's the one you'll actually use.

I've been deep in the AI trenches for the past year, testing everything from the obvious players to the obscure startups. I've wasted money on tools that looked impressive in demos but fell flat in daily use. I've also discovered a few absolute game-changers that have fundamentally shifted how I run my business.

So instead of giving you another listicle of "top AI tools," I'm pulling back the curtain on what's actually working in my business right now—and what I'm quietly phasing out. This isn't theory. This is what I'm betting my business on in 2026.

The Core Four: What I'm Leaning Into Hard

Google Gemini: The Obvious Choice Everyone Should Make

Let me be blunt: if you're paying for Google Workspace and you're not using Gemini, you're leaving money on the table.

The current model excels at almost everything I throw at it. But here's what makes it the cornerstone of my AI stack: seamless integration with my Google Workspace data. I can attach files without the friction of uploading and downloading. I can ask it to mine my Google Drive for insights, patterns, and connections I'd never spot manually.

But the real secret weapon? Image generation.

Gemini's Nano Banana model has blown every other image generation tool out of the water for me. It's fast. It's accurate. And here's the killer feature: it can render text flawlessly in images.

Let me give you a real example. I was recently on a call with a coaching client, reviewing pictures from an AI photoshoot. He loved one of the shots—great composition, professional lighting, exactly the vibe he wanted. Then he noticed something odd: the AI had given him two watches. One on his right wrist, one on his left.

As Rocky Balboa said, if you want to have a good time, you have to have a good watch. But my client didn't want two watches.

I did what I always do first: threw the image into Canva and used the magic erase function. It erased the watch, all right. It also erased that portion of my client's wrist. We tried a couple of workarounds in Canva, but nothing worked without creating new problems.

I was ready to give up when that little dim lightbulb in my head flickered for a second: What about the banana?

I threw the same picture into Gemini and asked it to remove the extra watch. Poof. Gone. The image was perfect—no missing wrist, no artifacts, no hours of manual editing.

That's the power of having the right tool in your stack. What would have taken me an hour of frustration (or outsourcing to a designer for $50-100) took thirty seconds.

Google NotebookLM: The Knowledge Accumulator

This might be the biggest no-brainer on the planet after Gemini itself.

NotebookLM makes the accumulation and assimilation of knowledge ridiculously easy. I recently used it to generate a complete presentation in less than 10 minutes—and I mean complete. The underlying research. The verbiage. The slide deck. The promotional materials for the session. All of it, with just a few clicks.

Think about what that used to require: hours of research, organizing notes, crafting slides, writing copy. Now? I feed NotebookLM my source materials, give it clear direction, and it does the heavy lifting.

This isn't about replacing strategic thinking. It's about eliminating the grunt work so you can focus on the strategy.

Comet Browser: The Agentic AI Frontier

If I had to predict the future, my guess is that the story of 2026 will be the rise of agentic AI.

Here's what I've noticed: when business owners talk about "implementing AI," what they really want is automation. They want systems that work for them, not tools they have to constantly manage. Agentic AI is what brings it all together.

I find myself using Comet for more and more applications. Recently, I needed a comprehensive list of all my blog posts with summaries. I asked Comet to create a list with the title, publish date, and a summary of each post. Done.

We're in the very early days of agentic AI, and I believe it will have a massive impact on how we work in 2026. The tools that can take instruction, execute tasks, and deliver results without constant hand-holding? Those are the ones that will win.

Limitless: The Engagement Enabler

This is my AI notetaker and recorder, and it's changed how I show up in every conversation.

By using Limitless, I can stay 100% engaged in every meeting, every coaching call, every strategy session—instead of frantically scribbling notes, action items, and follow-ups. The AI captures everything, organizes it, and even suggests next steps.

This isn't just about convenience. It's about presence. When you're not worried about missing something, you can actually listen. You can ask better questions. You can build stronger relationships.

What I'm Quietly Phasing Out

I'll be honest: I'm a digital hoarder. I don't like canceling subscriptions, even when I know I should. But here's what's fallen way down my priority list.

ChatGPT: The Dethroned King

ChatGPT was on its way to becoming the Google of AI. When people thought "AI," they thought "ChatGPT." I don't think that will be the case much longer.

With the rise of Gemini and the problems Chat had with the release of o5.0, I think ChatGPT has fallen from the top spot and is at risk of falling further. For my use cases—business strategy, content creation, data analysis—Gemini simply does a better job with less friction.

That doesn't mean ChatGPT is dead. It just means it's no longer my default.

Midjourney: On the Watch List

I'm not dumping Midjourney for two reasons: First, it's not very expensive. Second, it still creates visuals with greater depth and artistry than other models.

But here's the problem: for everyday social media use and most other applications, Gemini does a good enough job for less money (since I already pay for it in my Workspace subscription) and produces results faster than Midjourney.

So while I'm not canceling Midjourney, it's definitely on the watch list. If Gemini's image generation continues to improve at its current rate, I may not need a dedicated image AI tool at all.

The Bigger Truth About AI Stacks

Here's what most AI tool reviews won't tell you: the best stack is the one that reduces friction, not the one with the most features.

Every tool you add to your workflow creates cognitive load. You have to remember which tool does what. You have to learn new interfaces. You have to manage more subscriptions.

The tools I'm leaning into hardest in 2026 share three characteristics:

1. They integrate seamlessly with systems I already use

2. They eliminate entire categories of work rather than just making tasks slightly easier

3. They actually get used instead of sitting in my bookmarks bar

If you're building your 2026 AI stack, don't chase the shiniest new tool. Chase the one that removes the most friction from your daily work.

Ready to find out what's actually worth keeping in your tech stack? I've created a free Tech Stack Audit that helps you identify which tools are earning their spot—and which ones are just draining your bank account. It's the same framework I use with my coaching clients to cut through the noise and build a lean, high-impact AI workflow. Grab your free Tech Stack Audit here.