USES

CURSOR

DAILY DRIVER

AI-native code editor

VS Code fork with AI wired into its core. Context-aware autocomplete, codebase-wide chat, and inline edits that understand architecture — not just syntax.

VS CODE

The editor that started it all

The foundation Cursor is built on. Still reach for it for quick edits, remote SSH sessions, and extensions that haven't landed in Cursor yet.

INTELLIJ IDEA

JVM powerhouse

The gold standard for Java and Spring Boot. Slow to start, irreplaceable in practice. Deep static analysis, refactoring, and framework support nothing else matches.

CLAUDE CODE

DAILY DRIVER

Agentic pair programmer

Reads your codebase, writes and edits files, runs commands, catches its own mistakes, and asks before doing something irreversible. Changes how you think about working on complex problems alone.

GITHUB COPILOT

In-editor completions

Still useful for boilerplate, test skeletons, and filling in the obvious patterns. Best when you know exactly what it can and cannot do.

ARC

FAVORITE

The browser that rethought everything

Spaces, split view, command bar, and a UI that actually respects screen real estate. The browser that made me stop using tabs the old way.

ZEN BROWSER

OPEN SOURCE

Firefox, but beautiful

Open-source Firefox fork with a clean sidebar-first UI, compact mode, and Arc-like spatial navigation. Privacy-first without sacrificing aesthetics.

BRAVE

Privacy-first Chromium

Chromium fork with built-in ad blocking, fingerprinting protection, and no Google telemetry. The practical default for daily browsing when Arc isn't available.

WARP

DAILY DRIVER

The terminal, reimagined

Block-based output, AI command search, and a UI that doesn't feel like 1985. The first terminal that made me actually enjoy the command line.

TERMIUS

FAVORITE

SSH that syncs everywhere

Cross-device SSH client with built-in SFTP, port forwarding, and a host vault that syncs across devices. Clean UI — the Figma of terminal clients.

FIGMA

DAILY DRIVER

From wireframe to handoff

Browser-based, real-time collaborative, and fast enough to keep up with thought. Used for everything from five-minute mockups to full design systems.

EXCALIDRAW

OPEN SOURCE

Infinite whiteboard for thinking

Hand-drawn aesthetic, zero friction, infinitely fast. For architecture diagrams, quick flows, and any idea that needs to be externalised before it disappears.

SHOTS.SO

FAVORITE

Beautiful screenshot mockups

Drop a screenshot in, get a beautifully framed device mockup out. Indispensable for making project screenshots not look like they were taken on a 2009 netbook.

BEEKEEPER STUDIO

OPEN SOURCE

Open-source database GUI

Clean, genuinely open-source database client. Postgres, MySQL, SQLite, and more — no subscription, no bloat, no locked features.

YAAK

FAVORITE

The API client that respects you

What Insomnia should have stayed. Environments, collections, GraphQL, gRPC — all in a native app that doesn't require a login or a subscription to run a request.

GITKRAKEN

FAVORITE

Visual git, done right

Branch graph, interactive rebase, and conflict resolution that doesn't make you want to close the repo and start over. The GUI that actually makes complex git history navigable.

VERCEL

DAILY DRIVER

Frontend cloud, zero config

Deploy a Next.js app in 30 seconds with preview URLs, edge functions, and analytics. The benchmark everything else is measured against.

CLOUDFLARE

FAVORITE

DNS, CDN, and edge compute

DNS for every domain, Pages for static hosting, R2 for zero-egress storage, and Workers when something needs to run at the edge. The infrastructure layer I trust.

DOKPLOY

OPEN SOURCE

Self-hosted deployment platform

Open-source Heroku/Vercel alternative you run on your own VPS. Docker-based deploys, environment management, and a clean dashboard — full control, no vendor lock-in.

DOCKER

DAILY DRIVER

Containerise everything

Dev environments, production services, CI pipelines — if it runs somewhere, it runs in Docker first. Compose for local stacks, Desktop for the GUI when needed.

WSL2

DAILY DRIVER

Linux on Windows, natively

Full Linux kernel running inside Windows. Real bash, real package managers, and filesystem performance that finally makes Windows a legitimate dev machine.

NOTION

DAILY DRIVER

Docs, boards, and databases

Project planning, meeting notes, feature specs, and knowledge bases. Flexible enough to adapt to any workflow without fighting back.

OBSIDIAN

FAVORITE

Local-first knowledge base

Markdown-native, offline-first, and yours forever. For deep thinking, permanent notes, and everything you actually want to keep long-term.

TODOIST

DAILY DRIVER

Task manager that stays out of the way

Inbox, projects, priorities, due dates — and a natural language parser that actually works. The right amount of structure without becoming a productivity system you have to maintain.

MARKTEXT

OPEN SOURCE

Distraction-free Markdown editor

Clean, focused Markdown writing. Source mode and WYSIWYG in one editor. Open-source and offline — for when you just want to write without Notion loading.

SPOTIFY

Focus and deep work fuel

Lofi, post-rock, film scores, or just whatever clears the head. Not a dev tool, but an honest part of how the engineering gets done.

POWERTOYS

OPEN SOURCE

Power user toolkit by Microsoft

FancyZones for window layouts, Run for instant launch, ColorPicker, ImageResizer, and a dozen other utilities Microsoft should have shipped with Windows years ago.

FLOW LAUNCHER

OPEN SOURCE

Instant everything, one keystroke

Alfred and Raycast for Windows. Apps, files, clipboard history, web search, calculator, unit conversion — all without touching the mouse.

EVERYTHING

FAVORITE

Instant file search for Windows

Indexes your entire filesystem in seconds and finds any file instantly. The Windows search Microsoft never built. Once installed, you'll never open File Explorer again.

LOCALSEND

OPEN SOURCE

Cross-platform AirDrop

Transfer files between any devices on the same network — no cloud, no account, no friction. Fast, private, and open-source.

DEVTOYS

OPEN SOURCE

Developer Swiss Army knife

JSON formatter, Base64 encoder, JWT decoder, UUID generator, diff checker, regex tester — all offline, all instant. Replaces a dozen browser tabs.

WINTOYS

FAVORITE

Windows settings, unlocked

Debloat, tweak, and optimise Windows from a single clean dashboard. Disables telemetry, removes junk apps, and exposes settings Microsoft buried.

NOTEPADS

OPEN SOURCE

Notepad, but modern

Fluent Design notepad replacement with tabs, diff viewer, and a UI that doesn't look like Windows 98. The default notepad replacement for quick text work.

SCREENBOX

OPEN SOURCE

Modern media player for Windows

Fluent Design media player built on libVLC. Plays everything, looks native on Windows 11, and handles network streams without VLC's chaotic UI.

FLUENTCAST

Podcast app for Windows

Fluent Design podcast client for Windows. Clean, fast, syncs subscriptions, and feels like it actually belongs on Windows 11.

SHAREX

OPEN SOURCE

Screenshot & screen capture powerhouse

Capture anything — region, window, fullscreen, scrolling — with instant annotation, upload, and automation workflows. The most powerful free screenshot tool on Windows.

LOOM

FAVORITE

Async video communication

Record screen + camera, share a link instantly. Replaced half my written status updates and all my 'can you just look at this?' messages.

1PASSWORD

DAILY DRIVER

The password manager worth paying for

Passwords, SSH keys, API tokens, 2FA — one vault, everywhere. The Travel Mode and developer secrets features alone justify the subscription.

PROTONVPN

FAVORITE

Privacy-first VPN

Swiss-based, audited, open-source VPN. No logs, no data selling. The only VPN provider I trust enough to recommend to non-technical people.

ADGUARD

FAVORITE

System-wide ad and tracker blocker

Blocks ads and trackers at the system level — browser, apps, everything. More thorough than a browser extension and doesn't require per-browser setup.

RAINDROP.IO

FAVORITE

Visual bookmark manager

Save, tag, and organise bookmarks with screenshots and full-text search. The only bookmark manager that makes the saved articles actually findable later.

WAPPALYZER

Tech stack detector

One click to see what any website is built with — framework, CMS, analytics, CDN, payment provider. Essential for competitive research and general curiosity.

POCKET

Read-later for the internet

Save articles, strip the clutter, read offline. The buffer between 'I should read this' and actually reading it later without losing the link.

FDM

Free Download Manager

Multi-connection downloads, torrent support, browser integration, and scheduled bandwidth limits. Replaces the browser's built-in downloader for anything over 100MB.

CLI for spinning up type-safe full-stack apps with the best modern defaults — tRPC, Drizzle, Hono, and more. Saves the first two hours of every new project.