There's a small but real friction cost in every communication workflow: you open Gmail, compose, send. Then you open Calendar, create an event, invite someone, add a Meet link. Two apps, six clicks, two minutes minimum.
Companion does both in one conversation.
The demo
We were preparing a product demo for Y Combinator. The first task was simple:
Please send an email to Buan at [address] — my CTO — to inform him I've started the demo.
Before sending, we switched models mid-conversation. For the email, we chose Gemini 2.5 Flash — a fast, cheap model that handles simple tasks like email composition well. The cost for the email was fractions of a cent.
The email came back clearly written. We reviewed it, confirmed it looked right, and Companion sent it.
We checked the sent folder. The email was there.
Switching models mid-conversation
This is worth pausing on. Companion lets you switch the AI model mid-conversation without losing context. During a long session, this matters:
- Cheap models (Gemini Flash, Claude Haiku) for simple tasks — writing short emails, quick lookups, basic formatting
- Stronger models (Claude Sonnet, GPT-4o) for complex tool chains — multi-step reasoning, writing with nuance, handling ambiguous instructions
Because Companion is BYOK via OpenRouter, you pay the model's actual rate — no Companion surcharge. Switching to a cheaper model for simple tasks cuts costs in half without any loss in quality for those tasks.
Then the meeting
Right after the email, in the same conversation:
Please set up a meeting with Buan tomorrow at 10:00 a.m. to go over this video as well.
We switched to a slightly stronger model for the calendar task — tool-use chains with Google Calendar benefit from a model that handles structured data well.
Companion booked it. Google Meet link included. Buan invited. The event appeared in both calendars.
Total cost for the email + meeting booking: under $0.05, including the model switch.
What the usage dashboard showed
Companion has a built-in usage and analytics view under Settings → Usage. After this session, it showed the total spend for the conversation: 4 cents.
Email draft, email sent, calendar event created, Google Meet link generated. Four cents.
Why this pattern works
The reason this feels different from scripting or Zapier workflows is the conversational layer. You're not configuring a trigger. You're just saying what you want, the same way you'd say it to an assistant.
"Send an email to [name] about [topic]" "Set up a meeting tomorrow at [time]"
The AI figures out the tools, the sequence, and the content. You review, confirm, done.
And because it's all in one conversation, context carries forward. The meeting subject references the email topic. The calendar invite mentions what you're meeting about. It's not two separate automations — it's one continuous task.
Setting this up
You need two MCP integrations:
- Gmail MCP — for sending emails
- Google Calendar MCP — for booking meetings
Both connect via OAuth authorization in under a minute each. Once they're active, the prompt above works as written. Adapt it for any communication workflow.
Download Companion and try the two-integration workflow. Start with a simple version: "Send a quick email to [someone] and add a reminder to follow up in 3 days." See how fast it moves.