bsTechTeam — The Stack
The Three Tools We Teach and Why
HubSpot. BerserkerMail. AI. Here's exactly what each one does and why this combination outperforms every alternative we tested.
HubSpot
$20/monthThe CRM Layer
Contact management, lead scoring, pipeline visibility. Why HubSpot and not something simpler: the free tier handles what most small businesses need, the API surface is extensive enough for AI integration, and the lead scoring tools are genuinely usable without a developer. What students configure during the training: contact properties, lead scoring rules, list segmentation, and pipeline stages. $20/month for the Starter tier.
BerserkerMail
$29/monthThe Email Layer
Sequences, deliverability, aggressive sending encouraged. Why BerserkerMail and not Mailchimp, ActiveCampaign, or the dozen alternatives: Wes uses it himself. It was built for outbound sales cadences, not newsletter marketing. Aggressive sending limits are a feature, not a bug. Students write and schedule their first sequence during Day 2 and leave with it running. $29/month, no per-email fees.
AI
VariableThe Intelligence Layer
Claude for architecture and content. Paperclip for agent orchestration. Enrichment, scoring, and personalization at scale. How the AI layer works: Claude handles prompt design and content generation. Paperclip handles the agent loop — sourcing, enriching, qualifying, and routing leads without manual intervention. Students leave with at least one agent configured and running against their actual pipeline.
Section 4 — Why Not Other Tools
Brief, honest comparison. Mailchimp: built for newsletters, not outbound sequences. Webflow: great for marketing sites, not the right fit for this workflow. ActiveCampaign: more complex than needed, pricing scales poorly for small business. Alternatives considered and rejected during curriculum development, with the specific reason each was cut. Honest and not condescending.