Software I use, gadgets I love, and other things I recommend.

I often get asked what I use to build software, stay productive, or buy to fool myself into thinking I’m being productive when procrastinating. So here’s an extensive list of all of my favorite stuff.

Workstation

  • MacBook Pro 16” M2 Max 32GB

    My current developer machine. I upgraded from an 8GB M1 MacMini due to the Frontend work I have been doing lately. Figma + IDE + Chrome was chewing through the ram and frequently created bottlenecks in my workflow.

  • Apple Studio Display (Nano Texture Glass) x2

    This display replaced my aging Thunderbolt display. I think the nano-texture glass and the adjustable stand are both worthy upgrades. I enjoy this monitor so much I recently added a second one to my setup.

  • Apple Magic Trackpad

    I rely on gestures to get around my computer, and the Magic Trackpad helps make having a single monitor bearable by enabling me to swipe back and forth between virtual desktops quickly.

  • Apple Magic Keyboard

    A developer without a mechanical keyboard? I know, it’s crazy. Standard issue Apple Keyboard.

Productivity

  • Notion

    I use Notion for everything related to research and documentation.

  • Paper Notebook

    I go through about four notebooks per year. I love that it doesn't have wifi, push notifications, or social media. In our world's constant battle for focus and attention, it is a safe haven for concentration. I use it to write out my goals and accomplishments for the day. I also track habits in it, like drinking water or exercising.

  • Montblanc Fountain Pen (Circa 1990)

    My dad always carried a fancy pen when I was young, and I always thought it was fantastic. So my wife got me one just like my dad used to have as a gift. It is my favorite pen, and I use it for everything.

  • Focus

    Apple's Focus tool to put my phone on Do Not Disturb. I use it to get work done. I recently let it start customizing my contact list, email accounts, and home screens for different modes so I don't get distracted by email or calendar invites when I am trying to engage in deep work or family time. I recommend a Personal Focus without any email or social media apps, a work focus with your email, and a Do Not Disturb focus to take a break from all outside distractions. Pager Duty has an emergency notification break-through feature integrated into iOS, so those of us with an on-call aspect to our jobs can still be systematically interrupted when a high-severity incident demands our attention

  • Apple Music Coding Playlist

    I find that when I am trying to code or other wise do some kind of “Deep Work” I cannot listen to music with lyrics. The Coding playlist on shuffle is a great way for me to get lost in my work and block out distractions.

  • Sony WH-1000XM2 Over Ear Noise Canceling Headphones

    I have had my Sony WH-100XM2 since 2017. I got them the day they came out and used them to block out distractions while coding. They are also great for flights to block out engine noise and children screaming (although my wife says it is not okay to block out our kids screaming on a plane...). If I had to purchase today, I would look at the WH-100XM5 or the AirPod Max once they have a USB-C port.

Development

  • VSCode

    After being an IntelliJ user for years I finally made the switch to VSCode.

  • Terminal

    Plain old Terminal.app. I’ve tried a few others, but I always come back.

Design

  • Figma

    I use Figma for rapid prototyping and design.

  • Miro

    I love the more structured feel of Miro over FigJam. One good thing that came out of the Pandemic was lots of options for real-time online white-boarding.

  • LucidChart

    ERDs, AWS Infrastructure, and Business Process Flows... Not super exciting, but I use LucidChart to generate them. However, three subscriptions are not ideal, so I want to eliminate this tool from my stack and consolidate it into Miro and Figma.