This week I’ve walked you through the 4-pillar framework I use to build minimalist, mid six-figure businesses.
Today, I want to share the incredibly short list of tools I actually use to run everything.
I’m “old” in this digital business game – 15+ years in – and I’ve tried and abandoned a hundred different tools, platforms, and software solutions.
These are the ONLY tools you need…
My Minimalist Tool Philosophy: Reduce Friction
My rule for tools is simple: Reduce friction.
I want to go from idea to published in the least amount of steps and time possible. Less is faster.
There are 2 rules I follow:
- Use the least amount of tools possible
- The tools themselves should be simple and not try to do too much
Most entrepreneurs do the opposite. They add tool after tool, thinking they’re making things easier, but they’re actually adding friction and complexity.
Every new tool means more mental bandwidth consumed – pulling you away from revenue-generating activities like writing emails, sales pages, and course content.
My Actual Tools (By Pillar)
Pillar 1: Traffic via Affiliates
- Kajabi – Tracks sales, manages affiliates, automates commissions
- PayPal/Wise – For paying affiliates
Pillar 2: Email List
- Kit (formerly ConvertKit) – For emails and Email Delivered Courses
- Apple Notes for writing first drafts
This combo is crucial to my workflow. I write ALL my content in Apple Notes because it’s a simple text editor – not much more. I want an almost no-tech experience that lets me type without distraction.
I actively avoid Notion (it SUCKS for writing – too many features and “templates”). I get lost so, sooo fast in Notion.
I also avoid Google Docs for writing because it’s a visual editor too.
My process:
- Capture ideas in Apple Notes
- Write email drafts there
- Copy into Kit & do final edit there
- Hit publish
Pillar 3: Simple Sales Pages
- Platform X – this isn’t the real name, but details below
I used to use Kajabi’s sales pages.
I had a really, really hard time with them.
It was shockingly hard for me to make pages that looked halfway decent and converted their best.
But a team working on a new sales page platform reached out to me last year and I’ve been working with them on their as-yet-unnamed platform to build my sales pages.
This change has boosted sales significantly.
When the platform is publicly available, I’ll shoot an email to this list. If you have as many headaches with existing sales page platforms as I do, this will be heaven for you.
In the meantime… Kajabi will still work fine.
Remember, when you’ve done your job with affiliate traffic and email, your sales pages don’t need to be complicated masterpieces or beautiful works of art.
Pillar 4: Courses (Email Delivered & Regular)
- Kit – For Email Delivered Courses
- Kajabi – For regular courses, checkout, and upsells
- Stripe – Processes all payments
- Loom – For any videos I need to create
- Zoom – For occasional consulting calls
- Google Drive – For forms and spreadsheets
That’s It. Seriously.
That’s my entire tech stack for running mid six-figure businesses:
- Kit
- Kajabi
- Platform X
- Stripe
- Apple Notes
- Loom
- Zoom
- Google Drive
No Notion or other trendy productivity tools.
Just the absolute essentials that reduce friction.
The money I save on unnecessary tools goes straight to my bottom line.
And the mental bandwidth I save allows me to focus on what actually matters: creating valuable content for my customers.
My hope is that this series has shown you that building a successful digital business doesn’t have to be complicated.
You don’t need dozens of traffic sources, complex automation sequences, 10,000-word sales pages, or elaborate course platforms.
You just need these four simple pillars working together – each one making the others more effective. That’s it.
If you implement even one of the ideas I’ve shared this week, I’m confident you’ll see more sales in your business.
Implement all four, and you might just find yourself with the kind of minimalist, mid six-figure business I’ve been describing.
Have a great rest of your weekend!
— Derek
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