A Self-Built Tool for Working with AI

Context

Working extensively with AI tools, I noticed heavy PDF uploads were consuming a disproportionate share of my available tokens, and once a session hit its limit, I had to wait for it to reset. The tools themselves suggested converting PDFs to plain text or markdown first, since that uses far fewer tokens.

Solution

The obvious next step was a free web-based converter, but I ran into the same problem in a different form: session and daily limits, and a paywall for uninterrupted use. Some of the documents I work with also contain information I'd rather not upload to an unfamiliar third-party tool. So I built a small desktop application for my own machine instead, converting PDFs to markdown locally, with no upload and no limits. It took about an hour to build, test and refine.

Results

I now convert my own PDFs to markdown before using them with AI tools, saving tokens and keeping anything sensitive off third-party servers entirely.

My role

I identified the problem, evaluated the existing options, and built the tool myself.

My take

The fastest way to get better with AI tools is to keep using them on real problems, not just read about them. The one caution worth naming: it's easy to lose time building something because you can, rather than because it's worth the time. Being clear on what you actually need protects against that.