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, 32GB 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.

  • Apple Studio Display, Nano-texture glass, Tilt adjustable stand

    Displays dont get much better than this. The built-in webcam and speakers are also surprisingly good, making this a great all-in-one solution.

  • Kinesis Gaming Tilt Keyboard

    For the love of all things mechcanical, you have to go with a keyboard like this. The tactile feedback and the satisfying clickety-clack sound it makes when typing is unmatched. Plus, the ergonomic design helps reduce strain during long coding sessions.

Development tools

  • intellij IDEA

    The best IDE for pretty much any language you can think of. The refactoring tools alone are worth the price of admission.

  • intellij WebStorm

    I use WebStorm for pretty much all of my JavaScript and TypeScript development. The built-in tools for debugging, testing, and refactoring are top-notch.

AI

  • Claude

    I use Claude for a lot of my AI needs these days. The model is incredibly capable and the interface is super easy to use.

  • Github Copilot Agent

    I use Copilot for all of my code generation needs. It’s like having a pair programmer that never gets tired or annoyed.