For a long time, I’ve been head-down in the 9-to-5 world, building and managing WordPress sites and dealing with the “noise” of the web. But lately, thanks to the growth of AI and particularly tools like Claude Code, I’ve found the time and the interest to refocus on something that actually needs the effort: simplicity.
I’m launching two projects—RationalWP and CreatorTools.us—not because the world needs more “stuff,” but because it needs better tools that don’t get in the way.
The Problem: The “Swiss Army Knife” Syndrome
We’ve all been there. You install a plugin or a marketing tool for one specific task, and suddenly you’re staring at a dashboard with fifty settings you don’t need, half of which are trying to upsell you. It’s bloated, it’s heavy, and it’s frustrating.
Some of the most painful I’ve encountered are popular SEO and events plugins. The tendency is for teams to add features because they sense the need to continue improving. Often times this leads to software that, because it was designed for everyone, is designed for no one.
My philosophy is different: You install only the functionality you need for the task at hand. I’m building “scalpels”—precision tools for specific problems.
RationalWP: WordPress Without the Noise
RationalWP is where I’m putting my developer experience to work. The initial goal is simple: solve the nuance of “making Google happy” without the overhead.
- Cleanup: This is already in the WordPress repo. It removes some of the leftover baggage from the growth of WordPress and the internet over the years—the “legacy” stuff that just slows you down.
- The Goal: To provide a suite of plugins that do one thing, do it well, and have zero impact on your site’s performance or your sanity.
CreatorTools.us: Removing the Marketing Friction
As a developer, I’ll be the first to admit that marketing can be a headache. I’ve tried to sign up for Google AdSense before and been rejected without a clear reason. It’s a black box. I built CreatorTools.us to remove friction points exactly like that.
- AdSense Preparedness Tool: It pinpoints exactly what Google is looking for and gives you an honest idea of your success rate.
- Responsive & Lightweight: I’m using React to keep things quick. While most of these tasks are easier on a laptop, I’ve made everything responsive. There’s no reason a tool shouldn’t work on your phone just because the task is “big.”
Next Up: Demystifying Schema
I’m currently working on a utility to handle Schema and Rich Data.
The thing is, it’s not even that complicated. It’s just data about your content or your business. The complicated part is formatting it in a way that third-parties can understand. I want to help creators get those “rich snippets” on Google without having to spend hours learning a “dark art” just to get to the next step.
The “Red Thread”
Why do these two sites belong together? Because they share the same DNA: Less is more.
I don’t see any reason to make two things when one works just as well. Whether it’s a WordPress plugin or a web-based utility, the goal is to stop things from breaking and start making life a little easier, one piece at a time.
What’s your “time-wasting” task?
I’m building these tools based on the pain points I see every day, but I want to hear yours. What’s the one task that takes you forever or feels overblown?
Reach out—I’d rather build the tool you actually need than another one you don’t.
