Meet Alex Chen
Cutting through AI hype to show you which tools actually work for regular people who want to get stuff done.
Who Am I?
I can’t code from scratch. I’m not some Silicon Valley insider. And I definitely don’t have a computer science degree.
But here’s what I can do: I can spend weeks testing AI tools until I figure out what actually works and what’s just clever marketing.
Professional Background
- 6 years as an independent AI product reviewer
- 2 years at TechCrunch covering the AI beat
- 3 years as a product manager at a SaaS company
- Trusted by companies for honest AI product evaluations
My Testing Philosophy
I don’t review products from press releases or 20-minute demos. I live with these tools for weeks. I use them for real projects, with real deadlines, dealing with real problems.
Real-world testing approach: When I review an AI writing tool, I’m not just testing it on sample blog posts. I’m using it to write actual client content, newsletter campaigns, and social media strategies. When something breaks or doesn’t work the way it should, you’ll hear about it.
I test the free versions first (because that’s what most people start with), then dive into paid plans when they’re worth the money. I compare everything against 2-3 direct competitors because context matters.
What I Actually Care About
I get excited about AI tools that:
I’m skeptical of tools that:
- Promise to completely replace human creativity
- Have pricing that doesn’t make sense
- Work great in demos but fall apart in real use
- Require you to completely change how you work
My Setup
I work from my home office in San Francisco with three monitors (probably overkill, but I test a lot of tools simultaneously). My morning routine involves way too much coffee and checking what new AI announcements dropped overnight.
I keep detailed notes on everything I test. Screenshots of weird bugs, timing how long tasks actually take, documenting when customer support responds (or doesn’t). It’s probably more organized than it needs to be, but that’s how you catch the details that matter.
What You’ll Get Here
My reviews fall into a few categories:
Deep Dives
When I spend 2-3 weeks really learning a tool and putting it through its paces. These are the detailed reviews where I compare features, test edge cases, and figure out who should actually use this thing.
Quick Takes
When something new launches and I want to give you first impressions after a few days of testing. These help you decide if something’s worth your time to investigate further.
Tool Roundups
When there are five different tools that do similar things, I’ll test them all and tell you which one actually wins for different use cases.
Reality Checks
Sometimes I test tools that everyone’s talking about just to confirm whether they live up to the hype. Spoiler alert: they usually don’t.
My Promise to You
I don’t get paid by the companies I review. When I recommend something, it’s because I’ve actually used it and think it’s worth your time and money.
If a tool sucks, I’ll tell you it sucks and explain why. If it’s amazing but only for a very specific use case, I’ll be clear about that too. If I can’t recommend something but understand why others might like it, I’ll explain that perspective.
Bottom line: I’m not trying to turn you into an AI expert. I’m trying to help you find the tools that make your work easier, faster, or more interesting.
The AI space moves fast, and there’s always something new to test. But at the end of the day, what matters is whether these tools actually help you accomplish what you’re trying to do.
That’s what I’m here to figure out – so you don’t have to waste your time doing it yourself.
Stay Connected
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Questions about a specific tool? Drop me a line – I might already be testing it.