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

I get asked a lot about the things I use to build software, stay productive, or buy to fool myself into thinking I’m being productive when I’m really just procrastinating. Here’s a big list of all of my favorite stuff, in alphabetical order.

Browser Extensions

  • 1Password

    The extension that pairs with the desktop app for easily storing and populating passwords.

  • Loom

    I've been using Loom since they were pre-revenue and I haven't found a reason to switch.

CLIs

  • asdf

    Before asdf, I used Volta to manage package management versioning. But it was always a hodge-podge of different version managers. asdf wraps them all into one.

  • GitHub CLI

    GitHub released its own CLI and it's awesome. With it, you can do pretty much everything you can do on the UI. Personally, I use it for PR management.

  • Homebrew

    The package manager for macOS. I use it to install pretty much everything, including other CLIs in the list and the apps in the next section.

  • oh-my-zsh

    I don't know how anyone uses anything but zsh and oh-my-zsh is a great set of defaults and plugins for it, such as git.

  • z

    A “frecency” based directory jumper. It's the next evolution of the cd command.

Desktop Apps

  • 1Password

    After LastPass' security breach, I switched to 1Password and have only good things to say. I use the premium version to shave a few seconds off when needing to input passwords on both my computer and phone.

  • Arc

    Arc is the browser that we all wish Chrome could be.

  • Google Chrome

    The defacto standard for web development, assuming you're OK with the tracking. The only reason I use Safari or Firefox now is for testing and fixing browser-specific bugs.

  • Visual Studio Code

    I used to be a Sublime Text fanboy, but once I learned that VS Code had the ability to map shortcuts to Sublime's, I was sold. I've been using it ever since.

  • Warp

    Built with Rust and with a much stronger UX-focus, it's the next evolution of terminal apps. I've been using it for a few months now and it's been great.

Productivity

  • Notion

    I've been using Notion for a few years now and it's been great. I use it as a second brain and as a Getting Stuff Done methodology organizer.

  • Project EVO Planner

    The EVO Planner is a simple, yet effective, way of short-term goal setting, project tracking, and daily todo list organizer. It's been immensely helpful in getting my day started on the right foot.

  • Raycast

    Raycast is a Spotlight replacement that's built for power users. There's a store where you can download free integrations that make it super powerful. The one I use the most is the image format converter and the mapping of snippets. ex. When I type ||e into any field, it replaces it with rgpass@gmail.com.

Services

  • Figma

    Figma is a giant step up from Sketch and with its new Dev Mode, it's dead simple to use it for design and development. Combine Figma with Academy and you can go from zero to poweruser in less than two weeks.

  • GitHub

    I've been forced to use an alternative to GitHub once in my career and it was rough. It's the best place to host your code and the community is amazing. Since being acquired by Microsoft, there's been a ton of improvements and freebies offered.

  • iwantmyname

    Dead-simple domain registrar. I've been using them for years. Their lack of design seems intentional so you can focus on the wide feature set.

  • OpenAI

    Once GPT-4 was released, I became obsessed with AI. Ask my wife and she'll immediately roll her eyes and say, “Oh my God. That's all he talks about!” I use it for everything, from having a programming tutor for new languages all the way to a cognitive behavioral therapist.

  • Pop

    If you liked Screenhero, you'll love Pop. Pop is actually made by the creator of Screenhero. It's a free alternative to Tuple but has a few less features. Definitely worth checking out if you're looking to pair program.

  • Tuple

    Tuple is the best service in town for pair programming. Feature-rich, but costs money. My suggestion: if your employer will cover it, then it's a no-brainer.

  • Vercel

    I used to be obsessed with Heroku and Vercel is the next evolution. The only downside is that it's taken away any motivation I have to finally learn AWS.

Tech

  • Cypress

    Given that my old office was on the same floor as Cypress, it will always have a special place in my heart. But word is that Playwright is the new hotness.

  • NextJS

    I just started using Next and I'm convinced it's the best frontend framework out there, especially for React. Given that the React team recommends it over Create React App, I'm not alone.

  • PostgreSQL

    Postgres is my database of choice. It's free and widely supported.

  • Prettier

    So much time saved with this tool. I was patiently waiting for a Ruby plugin and was so happy when it was finally released.

  • React

    The most popular frontend library and will be for a long time. “My current job uses React and my next job will use React.”.

  • Ruby on Rails

    When I started, I knew I wanted to work with startups, so I chose Ruby on Rails. It's been my go-to backend framework ever since. But I'm looking for a change, just not sure what to focus on yet.

  • TailwindCSS

    (Not really a) Hot take: Tailwind is not only the best CSS framework, but it's one of the best ways to level up your CSS knowledge. With the Visual Studio Code extension, you can mouseover classes and see what they do.

  • TypeScript

    It's 2023, you better be using TypeScript.

  • Vitest

    Even if you're not using Vite, use Vitest. After using it for awhile, you'll start asking, “Why does anyone still use Jest?”

VS Code Extensions

  • Auto Rename Tag

    Are you tired of changing a HTML tag from a div to a span and having to change the closing tag as well? This extension does that for you.

  • Better Comments

    Applies different styles/colors to your comments based on the first character. It makes it easier to differentiate “TODO” comments from “DO NOT DELETE” comments.

  • ESLint

    No-brainer for any JavaScript or TypeScript development.

  • GitHub Copilot

    For $100 a year, you can practically double your productivity when writing code. I don't know of another service that has a better ROI.

  • indent-rainbow

    A small UI improvement that makes it easier to see how nested something is.

  • Path Intellisense

    Another extension that should've been included by default.

  • Prettier

    Auto-formatting on save. What's not to love?

  • Pretty TypeScript Errors

    TypeScript errors are notoriously difficult to read. This extension fixes that.

  • open in browser

    The title says it all. Why was this not a default feature?

  • Rails Go to Spec

    If you're doing Ruby on Rails development with RSpec, this is a must-have. With one shortcut, you can jump from a spec to its implementation and vice versa.

  • Tailwind CSS IntelliSense

    Autocomplete for Tailwind classes. It's a must-have.

  • vscode-icons

    Adds more icons to VS Code. Really just stuff that should come by default.

Workstation

  • 16” MacBook Pro, M1 Pro, 16GB RAM (2021) (personal)

    This is an amazing product. Even considering the hiccups that came with having a different architecture, it's still the best computer I've used (excluding my work M2 Pro).

  • 16” MacBook Pro, M2 Pro, 32GB RAM (2023) (work)

    I thought my personal computer was fast, but this thing is a beast. With two external displays (so three screens total), all my normal apps, and a 13B parameter LLM all running at the same time, I have still yet to hear the fans.

  • Apple Magic Keyboard with Touch ID

    This has been my go-to keyboard for years and using Touch ID saves me so much time. I love how easy it is to type on it while not causing an echo that mechanical keyboards do.

  • Apple Magic Trackpad

    I've always been a fan of the multiple desktops. The trackpad and four-finger swipe makes it so easy to switch between them. Anytime I see someone on a Mac using Alt+Tab I just assume they don't know about this.

  • Dell S2722QC 27-inch 4K USB-C Monitor

    Not the best monitor, but it gets the job done. I was allowed to reimburse up to $500 when I started at Artium, so I went with two of these and spent a little bit of my own money. Now I feel like a pro.

  • FEZIBO Standing Desk Anti-Fatigue Balance Board

    Whenever I'm standing at my desk, I'm standing on this. If I don't, my back feels it the next day. Would recommend this to anyone who has a standing desk.

  • Flexispot Pro+ Standing Desk E7

    This desk is awesome. It's motorized, has three memory slots, and it's built to be customizable. I went with white to make it obvious when I need to clean it.

  • GABRYLLY Ergonomic Mesh Office Chair

    Before I bought this chair, my poor back was suffering. And it was unprofessional looking. This is the exact opposite. It's comfortable, professional, and it's mesh so it's breathable. The only downside is that it's so comfortable, I don't want to stand up.