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

I get asked a lot on my YouTube channel 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

  • 14” MacBook Pro, M1 (2021)

    This machine is the bread and butter for web development. 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.

  • BenQ Displays 1440p

    BenQ makes some of the best monitors on the market. I’ve been using 2 27” 1440p monitors for years and they’re still going strong.

  • Apple Magic Keyboard

    I’ve been using the Magic Keyboard for years and it’s still the best keyboard I’ve ever used.

  • Logitec MX Anywhere 3

    Something about all the gestures makes me feel like a wizard with special powers. Plus is very portable. I really like this mouse feeling.

Development tools

  • VS Code

    VS Code has become the de facto standard for text editors. I’ve been using it since it came out and it’s still the best.

  • Postgres

    Postgres is the SQL database I use the most. I’ve been using it for years and I can not get enough of it.

  • MongoDB Compass

    I’ve been using MongoDB Compass when developing APIs with MongoDB. Is a great tool to see your data and even interact with it.

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.

  • Affinity Suite of Tools

    I have a universal license for the Affinity Suite of Tools and I don’t think I’ll ever need to buy another design tool again. I use Affinity Designer for all my vector work, Affinity Photo for all my photo editing, and Affinity Publisher for all my layout work. Is an amazing value for the price.

Productivity

  • Microsoft 365

    I’ve been using Microsoft 365 for years and it’s still the best way to get work done and stay productive, plus Chat GPT-4 is coming named as copilot for the office suite of apps.