My methodology

If you’ve landed on this page, you are serious about this. You want to know exactly how I select and test apps to feature on my blog.

So I will tell you exactly how. Let’s begin.

For starters, most apps and software get filtered out by the fact that I only test and write about ‘productivity software’ on this blog. Which means any software that does not help you become productive does not get covered. So if you’re looking for something like “best software to track my dog’s bowel movements”, then I must say that your time will be well-spent looking elsewhere. I only talk about tools that help you better manage your time one way or the other.

Now the ‘productivity software’ category itself is a broad umbrella with many sub-categories. While the plan is to cover each category, it’s both impossible and idiotic for me, a solopreneur, to do it simultaneously. So I focus on exhausting 1-3 sub-categories at a time before moving on.

About the specific software that I choose, well, that depends on a lot of factors. But the general rule of thumb is this: I test any productivity software that I come across or that I am curious about.

Note: Sometimes I do test a tool but don’t end up writing an article about it. That could be either because the tool didn’t meet my general testing criteria (example: bad user experience) or because it totally sucks on all levels.

My testing process

I believe testing and using the software is the main thing I do. How deep I go inside the software, how well I observe all its features, and how thoroughly I note them down — that alone determines the quality of my articles.

Which is exactly why I am so strict about the process and spend the most time here. This is also the only part of my entire blogging process that is genuinely challenging, because while I am testing software, I don’t even listen to music. It’s singular, flow-state focus on using the software the way a normal user would, and then putting my raw observations into bullet points.

Once I am done testing, which can take anywhere from under an hour to a couple of days, depending on the complexity of the software, I continue with the next steps: outline creation, first draft, and so on.

No AI for first drafts policy

I have strictly prohibited everyone on the team (which is just me) from using AI to write. The only thing I use AI for, specifically Claude, is to help edit and proofread my final drafts. That’s it. Everything else is written by me, from my lived experience with the software.

No favoritism policy

However broke I am at any given point, I never allow myself to get seduced by a loaded company willing to throw money at me for featuring them above their competitors. All software rankings and opinions are mine and mine alone. I never take money from any company, and I am never influenced by their sorcery. If I feature one software above another, it’s purely because of my experience using it, its merit, and its overall usefulness for my readers.

If you want to learn more about me, check out my about page. If you have any questions or just want to get in touch, check out my contact page.

If you want to read what I publish, check out my latest articles.

And if you are a SaaS company wanting to grow your blog through awesome-quality BOFU (bottom of the funnel) content, learn more about it at my Services page.

With gratitude 💛,

Dhruvir Zala