Perplexity

Perplexity sits between a search engine and a research assistant. You ask a real question, it synthesizes real sources and tells you what they say — with citations you can actually verify. For side builders doing market research in stolen hours, the ability to go from question to informed answer in five minutes instead of forty-five is meaningful. The free tier covers most use cases. The Pro plan adds deeper research modes worth having if you're doing this kind of work regularly.