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. Here’s a list of my favorite stuff I use when coding.

Workstation

  • 16” MacBook Pro, M1 (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.

  • Logitech MX Master 3 Pro

    The thumb scroll wheel alone justifies the purchase. I use it constantly for horizontal scrolling in code and spreadsheets—it’s one of those things you don’t know you need until you have it.

  • Nuphy

    A low-profile mechanical keyboard that actually feels good to type on. Quiet enough for video calls, substantial enough that I don’t feel like I’m tapping on a touchscreen.

  • Anne Pro 2

    Compact 60% layout that freed up tons of desk space. The Bluetooth was flaky at first but it’s been rock solid for years now. I keep it as a backup when I want to switch things up.

Dev Tools

  • Cursor

    Where I write most of my code now. The AI integration actually feels like pair programming rather than autocomplete on steroids. Hard to go back to a plain editor after this.

  • 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. Split panes and keyboard shortcuts alone make it worth it.

  • Claude Code

    My go-to when I need to think through a problem or draft something outside of Cursor. Great for architecture decisions, refactoring plans, and rubber-duck debugging.

  • OrbStack

    Docker Desktop without the bloat. Starts in seconds, uses way less memory, and the Linux VM just gets out of the way. Best dev experience I’ve had for containers on Mac.

  • Oh My Zsh

    Makes the terminal actually pleasant to use. Git status at a glance, better tab completion, and enough plugins that I forget what vanilla zsh even looks like.

Design

  • Figma

    Started as a design tool but the collaboration features ended up being the real hook. Virtual whiteboard for the whole team, and the browser version means nobody has an excuse not to jump in.

Productivity

  • Notion Calendar

    Clean calendar that syncs with Notion and keeps everything in one place. The week view is my default—it's the only layout that actually shows me what's possible vs. what's already committed.

  • RescueTime

    Passive time tracking that runs in the background. Sometimes ignorance is bliss, but when I need to see where the hours actually go, this is the uncomfortable truth I need.

  • Raycast

    App launcher, clipboard history, window management, and a hundred other things. Replaced Spotlight and a dozen smaller utilities. The extensibility means I'm still finding new use cases.