At some point, and probably more than once, you will hear about a new AI tool or a new feature on your existing platform and wonder whether it deserves your time. A new platform launches with impressive claims. Your current tool releases a major update. A colleague tells you they have switched to something else and it is better.
The temptation is to try everything. The risk is the same tool paralysis we addressed in Module 2, except now it hits mid-practice rather than at the start.
Here is the evaluation framework I use. Five questions, in this order.
One: does this solve a problem I actually have? Not a problem I might have, or a problem that sounds interesting. A problem I encounter in my working week that my current setup does not address well. If the answer is no, the new tool is interesting but not urgent. Note it and move on.
Two: does it do something my current platform cannot do, or does it do something my current platform already does but better? If it is a capability my platform already handles well, the switching cost is rarely justified by a marginal improvement. If it is a capability my platform does not have, it is worth investigating further.
Three: what is the switching cost? Moving to a new platform means rebuilding your context document, your projects, your custom instructions, and your prompt library. That investment is significant. A new tool needs to offer a substantial advantage to justify it. If the advantage is marginal, the cost of switching exceeds the benefit.
Four: is this tool mature enough to rely on? New tools launch frequently. Many of them are impressive in demonstration and unreliable in sustained professional use. A tool that has been available for less than six months and does not have a clear, well-funded organisation behind it is a risk for professional dependence. Wait for it to mature before committing.
Five: can I test it without abandoning what I have? Most tools offer free tiers or trial periods. If a new tool passes questions one through four, test it on a single, non-critical task before making any broader commitment. Run it alongside your existing practice for a defined period, two to four weeks, and evaluate based on the output quality and the practical experience, not on the marketing.
Those five questions will save you from chasing every new tool that appears and from the paralysis of not knowing whether to stay or switch. They are in your companion PDF.
