I've been using Perplexity AI daily for six months, and it's fundamentally changed how I research. What used to take fifteen minutes of clicking through search results, skimming articles, and mentally synthesizing information now takes two minutes and one well-phrased question. It's not perfect—no AI tool is—but for business research, it's the closest thing I've found to having a smart intern who actually understands what you're asking.
If you spend more than an hour daily doing research—competitor analysis, market trends, background on prospects—Perplexity Pro pays for itself immediately in time saved. Casual researchers should start with the free version, but power users will upgrade within a week. Skip it if you're happy with traditional search or need collaboration features.