Title: Stop paying for tiny tools. Build one instead.
Author: Natalie Lambert
Published: 2026-09-29
Type: Newsletter — Prompt, Tinker, Innovate
URL: https://genedge.co/newsletter/stop-paying-for-tiny-tools-build-one-instead
Excerpt: That QR code generator, file converter, or bookmarked calculator you use twice a month? You can build it yourself in a few minutes with Claude Artifacts, ChatGPT Sites, or Gemini Canvas—no code required. This week's experiment is your gateway into vibe coding: build your own HEIC-to-JPEG image converter.

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Welcome to Prompt, Tinker, Innovate, my AI playground. Each edition gives you a hands-on experiment that sharpens your thinking, streamlines your process, and boosts your creative work.

## This week's playground: replace the tiny tools you pay for (or bookmark) with one you build
This is the gateway into vibe coding, and I recommend it. Vibe coding means describing what you want in plain English and letting AI write working software. You write no code yourself. It's a real shift for anyone whose job isn't "build software" but who still needs software to get work done. Claude Artifacts, ChatGPT Sites, and Gemini with Canvas mode are the easiest on-ramps. You don't need a coding tool or a deploy step. You ask, and it builds right there.
Think of a small tool you use online that's either free or costs up to $10/month. Start there. A QR code generator. A file converter. A simple tracker for 15 contacts that doesn't need a real CRM. A "what is X percent of Y" calculator (I'm looking at myself in the mirror). If you've ever bookmarked a random site to do one small job, or paid for a tool you use twice a month, that's your target.
Note: Artifacts are available on every Claude plan, including free. ChatGPT Sites is in public beta on Plus and Pro, and fully available on Business and Enterprise. Either way, once it's built, it's yours to keep and reuse. No ads, no upload limits, no site going down.

## Use case spotlight: the image converter you keep going to a website for
Ever needed to shrink an image for a website, or convert an iPhone photo to JPEG so it works on a web form? You've probably used one of a dozen free conversion sites. They work fine. They also come with ads, upload limits, and a URL you have to remember.
This week, we build that tool instead of visiting it.

## Your AI experiment: try this prompt
👉 Time to tinker: Open Claude and click Artifacts in the left menu. Or open ChatGPT and click Sites in the left menu. Or open Gemini and select Canvas from the "+" under the chat box. You don't need any files yet, just the prompt below.
📝 Prompt:
Build me a simple image converter tool.
It should:
- Let me upload a HEIC file
- Convert it to JPEG format
- Let me adjust a quality/compression slider before converting
- Show the original file size and the new file size side by side
- Give me a button to download the converted file
Keep the interface simple and clean. One screen, no unnecessary steps.
💡 Pro tips: Get it right, then take it further
- Test it on a real image. Check that the download opens and looks right, not just that the tool ran without errors. It may error a few times before it works. Be patient, screenshot the errors, and send them back to the tool.
- Add more capabilities. Want it to save to a specific location or name files a certain way? Add that to the instructions.
- Think bigger. What problem do you have that a small tool could solve? I've built fitness apps, a credit card benefits monitor, my own CRM, and more with AI. Think of this as dipping your toe into your next favorite hobby.

## What did you discover?
What's the small paid tool or bookmarked site you'd replace first? And where did you hit a wall—something that needed more than Artifacts or Sites could reasonably handle? That edge is worth knowing before you lean on this for something important.
Until next time. Keep tinkering, keep prompting, keep innovating.
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