ABOUT Author
Why I Started Tool Growth — The Honest Story
Honestly, it started with frustration. I was running a small operation and needed to find a project management tool.
I spent hours reading ‘Best PM Tools 2026’ articles — and every single one recommended the same 5 tools in almost the same order. Most of them felt copy-pasted.
None of them answered the specific question I had: ‘Is the free plan actually useful for a 3-person team, or is it just bait?’ So I started testing tools myself. Not just clicking through demos — actually using them for real work, with real deadlines. I tracked my findings in a spreadsheet. Over time, that spreadsheet became a blog.
That blog became Tool Growth. The site now covers email marketing tools, project management software, CRM platforms, and productivity tools — the four categories I found most confusing and most poorly reviewed when I was building my own tech stack.
Furthermore, every category has the same testing standard: if I haven’t personally used it with real data, I won’t review it.
About the Author
About Aqib Khushk
Hi, I’m Aqib Khushk — The Person Behind Tool Growth
My name is Aqib Khushk, and I’m the founder and lead reviewer at Tool Growth. I started this site because I kept making expensive mistakes — signing up for software tools based on reviews that turned out to be generic, outdated, or clearly written to maximize affiliate commissions rather than actually help the reader make a good decision.
I know how frustrating that is. You spend an afternoon researching, choose a tool confidently, onboard your team, and then discover that the ‘best email marketing tool’ the reviewer recommended has a free plan that expires after 14 days — which they conveniently forgot to mention. That experience made me determined to do reviews differently.
Tool Growth exists for one reason: to give small business owners, freelancers, and growing teams the honest, practical tool reviews I wish existed when I was building my own business stack.
How I Research Every Tool
Every tool covered on Tool Growth goes through a careful research process — I dig into the platform’s documentation, pricing pages, free trial features, user reviews across G2, Capterra, and Reddit,and hands-on exploration wherever possible. For tools I can sign up for (most offer free trials or free plans), I explore the interface, onboarding, and key features directly. For others, I rely on aggregated real user feedback and detailed platform analysis. That’s my promise to every reader — honest research, not copy-paste content.
How I Approach Every Review
On Affiliate Links — My Commitment to You
Tool Growth earns money through affiliate commissions. When you click a link to a tool and make a purchase, I may earn a small commission from the tool company — at no extra cost to you. This is how I fund the testing, writing, and website costs that make Tool Growth possible.
However, I want to be completely transparent: affiliate commissions have never changed a review score. I have recommended free tools that pay me nothing when they genuinely were the best option. I have given lower scores to tools that offer higher commissions when the tool deserved a lower rating. My scores are based on testing, not earning potential.
Furthermore, I disclose every affiliate relationship clearly. If you ever have a question about whether a specific recommendation is influenced by an affiliate relationship, you’re welcome to email me directly. I’d rather lose a commission than lose your trust.
Connect With Me
If you have a question about a specific tool, want to share your own experience with a platform I’ve reviewed, or just want to say hello — I genuinely read every email. Accuracy matters more than saving face, so if you find a factual error, I’ll correct it publicly.
Email me at info@toolgrowth.com
I respond to most emails within 48 hours
Report factual errors for public correction
Share your personal software experiences
Get direct help with tool-related questions