In solving analytics problems with software, the poor craftsman blames his tools... but at the same time, if they only tool one has is a hammer, everything looks like a nail. I have identified four categories of applications that an analyst should have at their disposal: spreadsheets, databases, BI/dashboard platforms and programming languages. None of these is "better" than another: they are all slices of the same stack. The superior analyst has the wisdom to choose the right set of tools for the right task.