# The cheapest leverage is already paid for
Leverage · principle · https://build-here.africa/book/chapters/08-03-the-cheapest-leverage-is-already-paid-for.html

## The reflex

A new need comes up. The first reflex is to look for a new tool.

## The builder's reflex

First look at what your current tools already do that nobody uses.

## Why

The cheapest leverage is the one you already pay for. Most teams use a small part of their tools: the spreadsheet has forms, the messaging tool has automatic replies, the invoicing software has reminders. A new tool adds a subscription, training, access and one more dependency.

A team wants to track laptop loans. The inventory spreadsheet already exists. One tab and two columns do the job in an hour. Dedicated software would have taken a month just to choose.

If the existing tool has to be bent into something it cannot do, compare only what each option will still cost.

With an AI, adapting what you already have has become easier: a formula, a script, an automation between two tools you already use.

## Try this

On a precise need, write down the expected result. Before looking for a tool, ask the person who knows your current tools best whether they can do it.

Try the simplest version with what you have, in an hour. If it is not enough, you now know exactly what the new tool has to do.

## To discuss

Which tool are we already paying for without using what it can do?