Tools
This is the complete executive AI stack. Use it as a checklist.
Required (must have)
Section titled “Required (must have)”| Tool | Purpose | Cost | Link |
|---|---|---|---|
| Node.js v20+ | Runtime for Claude Code and Next.js | Free | nodejs.org |
| Git | Version control / undo system | Free | git-scm.com |
| VS Code | Code editor | Free | code.visualstudio.com |
| Claude Code | The AI coding agent | Free CLI + API usage | npm install -g @anthropic-ai/claude-code |
| Anthropic API key | Powers Claude | ~$10-30/month at learning pace | console.anthropic.com |
| GitHub account | Code hosting + version sync | Free | github.com |
That’s the minimum. With those six things you can ship everything in Modules 01-04.
Highly recommended
Section titled “Highly recommended”| Tool | Purpose | Cost | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vercel | Deploys your apps to the public internet | Free hobby tier | One command from a Next.js project to a live URL |
| Neon (PostgreSQL) | Serverless database | Free tier generous | When your apps need to remember things |
| Clerk | User authentication | Free up to 10K users | When your apps need login |
| Cursor (optional alternative to VS Code) | AI-native editor | $20/month | Some operators prefer it. Either works. |
Nice-to-haves for specific verticals
Section titled “Nice-to-haves for specific verticals”| Tool | When you need it |
|---|---|
| Resend | Sending transactional email from your apps (free 100/day) |
| SerpAPI | Web search for your agents (free tier limited; $50/mo for serious use) |
| Twilio | SMS or WhatsApp integration |
| Stripe | Charging money for what you build |
| Supabase | Alternative to Neon + Clerk in one platform |
MCP servers — the connection layer
Section titled “MCP servers — the connection layer”These let Claude Code talk to your existing tools (covered in Module 05):
| Server | What it connects to | Install |
|---|---|---|
@modelcontextprotocol/server-filesystem | Local files anywhere on your machine | npm |
@modelcontextprotocol/server-github | GitHub repos, issues, PRs | npm |
mcp-server-gmail | Read, search and send Gmail | npm |
@notionhq/notion-mcp-server | Notion pages and databases | npm |
mcp-server-slack | Slack channels and messages | npm |
Estimated monthly cost at full executive scale
Section titled “Estimated monthly cost at full executive scale”If you’re using all of this for real work (not learning), monthly:
- Claude API: $30-100 (depends on agent usage)
- Vercel: $0 (free tier handles most personal use)
- Neon DB: $0-20 (free tier handles most projects)
- Clerk auth: $0 (free tier up to 10K users)
- GitHub: $0
- Domain (optional): $12/year
Total: $40-150/month to operate a small AI product portfolio. The same stack scales to $10K+/month enterprise SaaS without changes.
Cohort members get Yuri’s exact configuration files for every tool above. Onboarding becomes a copy-paste exercise instead of a setup project.