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.

Workstation

  • 16” MacBook Pro, M1 Max, 64GB RAM (2021)

    I was using an Intel-based 16” MacBook Pro prior to this and the difference is night and day. I’ve never heard the fans turn on a single time, even under the incredibly heavy loads I put it through with our various launch simulations.

  • HP M27a

    A solid 27" display with anti-glare coating and low blue light mode to protect my eyes. The pivot rotation and on-screen controls make it easy to adjust, while the dual 2W speakers provide decent audio. Not the fanciest monitor out there, but it gets the job done.

  • Logitech MX Keys S

    A compact, backlit keyboard with a number pad, and a USB-C hub. The keys are clicky and the build quality is great.

  • Logitech MX Master 3S

    A solid, wireless mouse with a vertical and horizontal scroll wheel and gesture controls.

  • Herman Miller Aeron Chair

    If I’m going to slouch in the worst ergonomic position imaginable all day, I might as well do it in an expensive chair.

Development tools

  • Cursor

    A modern, AI powered, feature-rich code editor that supports a wide range of programming languages and integrates seamlessly with popular development tools.

  • iTerm2

    I’m honestly not even sure what features I get with this that aren’t just part of the macOS Terminal but it’s what I use.

Design

  • Figma

    I started using Figma as just a design tool but now it’s become my virtual whiteboard.

Productivity

  • Calendar Trends

    A tool for analyzing trends in calendar usage to reduce meeting costs and improve productivity.

  • Google Docs

    Using a daily notes system instead of trying to keep things organized by topics has been super powerful for me. And with Google Docs, 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.

  • Pomodoro

    A simple physical (and very loud!) timer to help me stay focused and productive.