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. Here’s a big list of all of my favorite stuff.

Workstation

  • 15.6” Dell G15 5510

    I use a dual boot setup with Windows and Ubuntu Linux. Best of both worlds.

  • Redragon Sapphire 24” 144Hz (IPS Display)

    A large good quality monitor with a silky smooth refresh rate. When you’re multitasking, every pixel you can get counts.

  • Redragon K551 Mitra (Red Switches)

    Mechanical keyboards are a must for me. I love the feel of the keys and the sound they make. I also love the lighting. It’s a little distracting but it’s also a lot of fun.

  • Redragon M711 Cobra

    A high quality mouse that's been with me for years. If you're looking for a decent mouse then this is the one for you.

  • Ergonomic Work Chair

    If I’m going to work all day, I might as well do it in an decent chair.

Development tools

  • VS Code

    VS Code is fast, open source, and has a great plugin ecosystem that allows it to support almost every language in existence. I use it for all of my coding and writing.

  • Docker

    Containers are the future. I use Docker for all.

  • DBeaver

    Great software for working with databases. Has saved me from building about a thousand admin interfaces for my various projects over the years.

Design

  • Figma

    We started using Figma as just a design tool but now it’s become our virtual whiteboard for the entire company. Never would have expected the collaboration features to be the real hook.

Productivity

  • PowerToys

    Microsoft PowerToys is a set of utilities for power users to tune and streamline their Windows experience for greater productivity. This simple application packs quite a punch.

  • Reflect

    Using a daily notes system instead of trying to keep things organized by topics has been super powerful for me. And with Reflect, it’s still easy for me to keep all of that stuff discoverable by topic even though all of my writing happens in the daily note.

  • SavvyCal

    Great tool for scheduling meetings while protecting my calendar and making sure I still have lots of time for deep work during the week.