Why I Spend $267/Month on Software as a Lean Startup (And Why You Should Too)

When you're bootstrapping or building a lean startup, it's tempting to trim every expense. That includes software.

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"We'll just use Google Sheets for now."

"We'll upgrade later once we scale."

"Why pay $30/month for something we could do manually?"

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I get it. But as someone who's audited dozens of early-stage GTM setups and now runs my own consultancy, I can confidently say:

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The most expensive tech is the one you have to replace later.

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Let me walk you through exactly what I spend $267/month on, why I chose these tools, and what I could technically cut—but won’t.

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My Tech Stack (as of today):

• LinkedIn Sales Navigator → Prospecting
• HubSpot → CRM
• QuickBooks → Accounting
• Google Workspace → Email & Docs
• ChatGPT Plus → Productivity & Research
• Canva Pro → Design
• Riverside.fm → Podcast Recording
• DocuSign → Contracting
• Webflow → Website Hosting

Total Monthly Spend: $267

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What Could I Cut?

• Ditch Sales Nav and use general LinkedIn
• Replace HubSpot and QuickBooks with Google Sheets
• Use free Canva, Zoom, and Gemini instead of paid tools

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That would cut 2/3rds of my software spend.

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But here's the real question: at what cost?

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The Hidden Cost of Going Cheap

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When startups go with the cheapest option, they often end up paying with:

• Time: You spend hours managing manual workflows
• Chaos: Data is spread across tools or stuck in personal inboxes
• Headaches: Migration becomes a painful project when you're finally forced to scale

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I’ve seen it first-hand:

Migrating 6 months of pipeline from Google Sheets into a CRM isn’t fun.

Hunting for signed contracts spread across Slack, Dropbox, and email threads is a nightmare.

Trying to create accurate reports with dirty data will destroy trust with investors, advisors, and your team.

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The Smart Path: Invest Small, Cancel Fast, Scale Smooth

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I treat my tech stack like a flexible foundation:

• Pay Monthly: No long-term commitment if something flops
• Cancel Fast: If it doesn't prove value in 30-60 days, it's gone
• Stack for Growth: I only adopt tools that can scale with the business

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This lets me test tools, keep my workflows clean, and scale with confidence.

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Because once you have real customers, a real sales process, or real team members, you don't want to cut corners in your operations.

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Final Thought: Build Like You’re Scaling

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You don’t have to blow $1,000/month on tools.

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But you do have to think beyond today.

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When you choose software, you're not just buying features.You're buying:

• Repeatability
• Accountability
• Scalability

And in the long run, those are priceless.

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Need help auditing your current stack or building one that scales?That's exactly what I help early-stage teams do at B2Bread.

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Reach out—I'll show you how to build a lean, high-leverage GTM engine from day one.

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