Over the last two weeks, several major players released new agents or agent‑like platforms that automate complex workflows. Below you’ll find the biggest announcements, the tools you can try today and how they can transform your business.
Notion introduces Custom Agents
On February 24, Notion rolled out Custom Agents, an autonomous AI feature designed to act like an always‑on teammate. Unlike basic AI plug‑ins that require constant prompting, these agents can be given a job and schedule and then run independently. They handle repetitive tasks such as triaging requests, answering internal Q&As and writing daily standups or monthly reports. For solopreneurs juggling many hats, the ability to automate intake and status updates is a game changer. Notion emphasises that these agents are team‑friendly: you can set permissions, share them with colleagues and integrate them with everyday tools like Slack, Figma and your calendar.
Notion’s release post also notes that Custom Agents are simple to create—just describe what you need in plain language and Notion builds the agent for you. Early testers have already built more than 21,000 agents and run them 24/7. Notion’s AI credits pricing model means that the feature is free to try until May 3 (this year) and will require credits for Business and Enterprise customers starting May 4. If you run a small business on Notion today, you can experiment without incurring extra costs.
Perplexity launches a multi‑model agent “Computer”
Perplexity, the search startup known for combining large language models in a single interface, announced a new cloud‑based agent on February 27. Branded simply as Perplexity Computer, the tool orchestrates 19 different AI models—including Claude, Gemini and custom open‑source models—to execute multi‑step workflows. Available to Perplexity Max subscribers ($200/month), Computer automatically breaks down tasks into sub‑agents and uses the most suitable model for each subtask, whether that’s coding, research or data analysis. Example workflows on the company’s site show Computer gathering statistics, performing legal research and producing polished reports or websites.
Perplexity executives claim the multi‑model approach is the future of AI: rather than picking a single model for everything, the agent selects the best one for a given step. The company acknowledges that its target user base is smaller than giants like OpenAI (tens of millions of users versus hundreds of millions) and positions Computer as a digital worker for people making “GDP‑moving decisions”. While the subscription price may be steep for solo founders, the announcement signals a broader trend toward accessible agentic AI that can coordinate various models on your behalf.
Intuit and Anthropic bring custom financial agents to the mainstream
Financial‑software giant Intuit and AI safety company Anthropic announced a multi‑year partnership on February 24. The collaboration integrates Anthropic’s Claude Agent SDK into Intuit’s platform, allowing mid‑market businesses to build secure, customized AI agents without coding. These agents connect third‑party data (for instance, sales or inventory records) with Intuit products like QuickBooks, Mailchimp or TurboTax. In practice, the announcement means that a regional restaurant group could deploy an agent to highlight margin variances across locations or a construction subcontractor could automatically flag cash‑flow gaps on $50 million projects.
Intuit says its financial intelligence will also appear directly inside Anthropic’s products (Cowork, Claude for Enterprise and Claude.ai) via Model Context Protocol (MCP) integrations. Solopreneurs using Claude could therefore generate pay‑enabled invoices from transaction spreadsheets or estimate tax refunds with Intuit’s tools. The partnership’s rollout begins in spring 2026; the companies tout strong security and compliance controls with user‑controlled data access.
Tools you can start using today
Here are three agent‑style tools you can adopt now without needing enterprise‑level budgets.
1. Build a simple agent in Notion (free through early May)
To experiment with Notion Custom Agents before the free‑trial window closes, follow these steps:
- Enable AI in your workspace. On a Business plan, go to “Settings & Members → Plans” and ensure that AI features are active. You can use the free trial without any additional credits until May 3.
- Create your agent. In any page, click “Automations → Create a Custom Agent.” Describe the workflow you want, such as “Triage support inquiries and route them to the right person.” Notion’s agent builder will suggest triggers and sources (Notion pages, Slack channels, your calendar).
- Integrate with existing tools. Use the MCP connections to plug in Slack, Mail, Calendar or Figma. For example, a solopreneur could allow the agent to access their support inbox and automatically draft email replies and schedule meetings using Notion’s Email Assistant and Team Scheduler.
- Test and refine. Let your agent run for a day, then review the logs and adjust its instructions or scope. Notion provides granular controls and logs so you can see exactly what the agent did and revoke permissions at any time.
- Scale up. Once you’re comfortable, build additional agents using templates provided by Notion for common workflows like onboarding, daily standups and status reports. Starting May 4, you will pay per agent run using Notion credits, but you can decide how many credits to purchase based on your usage.
2. Use Perplexity for multi‑model research—for free
Although the new Computer agent sits behind a premium paywall, Perplexity still offers a robust free tier that can help solopreneurs with research and content generation. Here’s how to make the most of it:
- Leverage “Model Council.” On the free plan, you can send a question to multiple models at once by clicking the Model Council icon. Perplexity will return answers from top models like Claude and Gemini, allowing you to compare quality and synthesize a more accurate response.
- Switch models for specific tasks. If you need marketing copy, select Gemini; for coding assistance, switch to Claude; for brainstorming images, choose an open‑source model. Perplexity’s interface makes it easy to swap models mid‑conversation.
- Bookmark your queries. Perplexity stores your interactions, so you can create a knowledge base for your business. Use threads to categorize research on competitors, pricing or product ideas and share them with collaborators.
- Upgrade judiciously. If you find yourself hitting the free tier’s rate limits, consider the $20/month Pro plan before jumping to the $200/month Computer subscription. The Pro plan increases daily limits and adds features like unlimited image creation, which may be sufficient for most solopreneurs.
3. Prepare for Intuit–Anthropic agents
While Intuit’s custom financial agents won’t launch until later this spring, you can set your business up now:
- Consolidate financial data. Ensure that your bookkeeping and sales data is organized in QuickBooks, Mailchimp or your preferred Intuit tool. The forthcoming agents rely on these connections to spot margin variances and cash‑flow gaps.
- Map your workflows. Identify pain points in invoice generation, expense tracking or compliance. Agents will be most effective when you can define specific triggers (e.g., “when payroll costs exceed 30 % of revenue, send an alert”).
- Stay informed on rollout. The partnership will surface Intuit’s capabilities directly in Claude and Cowork, so if you’re already using Anthropic’s products, keep an eye out for announcements. Consider signing up for beta testing, which may open to small businesses.
Why these developments matter for your business
The rise of agentic AI isn’t just for tech giants. The three announcements above demonstrate that automation frameworks are maturing into practical tools for smaller teams. Notion’s Custom Agents show how a no‑code interface can handle the repetitive tasks that sap entrepreneurs’ time. Early adopters report saving 20 hours per week by routing support tickets and syncing Slack and Notion boards. Perplexity’s Computer underscores that multi‑model orchestration is now feasible from a consumer interface; even on the free tier, you can benefit from comparing outputs across several models. And Intuit’s partnership with Anthropic hints at a future where your accounting software not only tracks your finances but proactively guides decisions based on industry‑specific agents.
However, it’s important to recognise limitations. Perplexity Computer’s pricing may be out of reach for many solo founders, and Notion’s free period is temporary. Additionally, these tools often rely on your existing data being organised and your processes well defined. AI can amplify your productivity only when there’s clarity about what should be automated. Always start by documenting workflows before handing them to an agent.
Next steps to stay ahead
Here are a few actions you can take this week and beyond:
- Experiment with Notion agents. Create one agent to automate a single repetitive task (like daily standup summaries) and track how much time you save over a week.
- Test multi‑model research. Use Perplexity’s Model Council to compare responses for a key business question and observe how different models vary in tone and accuracy.
- Review your financial workflows. Outline the steps for invoicing and expense management so you can quickly adopt Intuit’s custom agents when they become available.
- Educate your team. Share this article with colleagues or collaborators and discuss which workflows could benefit most from automation.
- Schedule regular reviews. Set a recurring monthly reminder to explore new AI tools; the landscape is evolving rapidly, and staying current will help you maintain a competitive edge.
Looking forward
The agentic AI wave is just beginning. Platforms like Notion, Perplexity and Intuit are opening doors for solopreneurs to delegate time‑consuming tasks to specialized digital assistants. The key is to start small, measure impact and iterate. By taking a proactive approach now, you’ll position your business to harness the full benefits of AI as these tools mature. Have you tried building an agent yet? Share your experience in the comments and check out SoloAITool for more tutorials and up‑to‑date AI news.
