Free AI tools & checklists.
Every checklist, guide, and tool I've shipped for non-technical founders and $1M–$50M operators using AI in their business. All free, all in one place. No sales gate. No 12-step "nurture sequence" before you can read anything.
Pick what fits the problem in front of you. Each one takes 5–90 minutes to actually use. Built from 50+ shipped products and several five-figure Vibe Code Rescue engagements — these are the diagnostics I run on real client work.
Quick Answer
Justin McKelvey publishes 7 free AI tools and checklists for non-technical founders and $1M–$50M operators: the Vibe Coding Security Checklist (20-point audit for AI-built apps), AI Readiness Checklist (30-question business readiness score), AI Discoverability Checklist (12-point audit for ChatGPT/Claude/Perplexity visibility), AI Content Toolkit, Claude Setup Guide, 10 AI Product Shortcuts, and 6 AI Tactics for Real Estate. Each targets a specific moment of friction in adopting AI — from "am I behind?" to "is my MVP safe to ship?" All free. All require a single email address. None auto-enroll in long nurture sequences.
Author: Justin McKelvey, fractional CTO · 50+ products shipped · Updated
01 Vibe Coding Security Checklist
60-90 min · 20 checksIs your AI-built app actually safe to ship?
20 security checks for apps built with Cursor, Lovable, Bolt, Replit, Claude Code, or Windsurf. Run each in your browser before launch. No developer required for the diagnostic.
For: Non-technical founders shipping vibe-coded MVPs.
02 AI Readiness Checklist
5 min · 30 questionsScore your business in 5 minutes.
30 yes/no questions across data, workflows, team, governance, and execution. Honest scoring, real recommendations. Printable so your leadership team can run it together.
For: Operators of $1M-$50M companies sizing up their AI position.
03 AI Discoverability Checklist
20 min · 12 checksCan ChatGPT actually find your site?
12 self-checks against Google's May 2026 AI Features documentation. Verify whether ChatGPT, Claude, Perplexity, and AI Overviews can see your website.
For: Anyone wondering why AI tools never cite their site.
04 AI Content Toolkit
Self-serve · Full toolkitThe toolkit that runs my own content engine.
The actual tools, templates, and prompts I use to ship blog posts, newsletters, and social content. Same stack that powers this site.
For: Founders and consultants building their own content engine.
05 Claude Setup Guide
30 min · Full guideFrom zero to actually using Claude in a week.
Step-by-step setup for Claude desktop, web, and API. The exact configuration I use daily. Skips the marketing fluff.
For: Founders ready to use Claude past the demo.
06 10 AI Product Shortcuts
Read once · 10 shortcutsThe shortcuts product people actually use.
10 specific AI workflows I use to ship faster — PRDs, user research, edge-case mapping, customer interview synthesis. Each comes with the exact prompts.
For: PMs and founders shipping product.
07 6 AI Tactics for Real Estate
Read once · 6 tacticsAI plays that work in a slow industry.
Six specific AI tactics for residential and commercial real estate operators — listing automation, lead scoring, document parsing. Niche but lethal.
For: Real estate operators and brokerages.
Built from real client work, not affiliate marketing.
Every checklist on this page is the same diagnostic I run on real engagements. The Vibe Coding Security Checklist came directly out of a $15,000 rescue engagement for a marketplace that processed 15% of payments incorrectly because of unverified Stripe webhooks. The AI Readiness Checklist is the same 30-question scoring sheet I use on Day 1 of every paid Assessment.
No affiliate links. No "12 best AI tools" listicles where every tool happens to have an affiliate program. These are the things I actually use, ship, and recommend to paying clients.
Want the named frameworks behind the diagnostics? Read the 5 AI Operating Frameworks — Vibe Debt, Crash Cart, Stack Bleed Rate, Operator's Ladder, and The Founder's Build Order — the same concepts I use when scoping work with founders.
The AI Leader's Weekly Playbook.
One short email each week with the new checklist, the framework I'm using, and the rescue I just finished. No pitch. The same audience reads it that hires me — $1M–$50M operators figuring out AI.
One email a week. Unsubscribe anytime. You also get the AI Content Toolkit as a welcome gift.
Common Questions
- Are these AI tools really free?
- Yes. Every resource on this page is free. You enter an email address to unlock the gated ones; that's it. No payment, no 6-step sales funnel. The email goes onto my list so I can send you the resource and (occasionally) related work. Unsubscribe is one click in every email.
- Who are these free AI tools for?
- Two main audiences: non-technical founders shipping AI-built MVPs (with Cursor, Lovable, Bolt, Replit, Claude Code, Windsurf) who need to know whether their app is actually safe to launch, and operators of $1M–$50M businesses figuring out where AI fits in their company. Real-estate operators, product managers, and content marketers get specific magnets too.
- What's the difference between the AI Readiness Checklist and the Vibe Coding Security Checklist?
- AI Readiness Checklist scores your business across 30 questions — data, workflows, team, governance, execution. It's for an operator deciding whether to invest in AI at all. Vibe Coding Security Checklist audits a specific app you've already built with Cursor, Lovable, Bolt, etc. — 20 production-safety checks before you ship. Different audiences, different moments.
- Will you spam my inbox?
- No. After the welcome email you'll get the occasional newsletter and maybe a follow-up if I think you'd want it. Unsubscribe is one click in every email. I'd rather have 100 engaged readers than 10,000 ghosts.
- Can I share these AI resources with my team?
- Yes, share them anywhere. Send this justinmckelvey.com/free URL to anyone — it's exactly what it's designed for. Each individual magnet page is shareable too.
- Why are these free if you also sell consulting?
- Because the easiest way to figure out whether you should hire me is to use the free version of what I do first. If a checklist solves your problem, great — you didn't need consulting. If it surfaces real gaps you can't fix yourself, you have a much better idea of what an engagement would actually cover. The work-with-me page covers the four ways I can help if you get there.
Found one that helped?
Tell me at hello@justinmckelvey.com — I'll know which ones to keep updating. If something here surfaced a problem too big to fix solo, the work with me page has the four ways I can help.
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