We use countless software products during the day, whether it's for communicating with our colleagues at work, taking notes, consuming content, writing and deploying code, and all the other tasks we're getting done.
Choosing the tools that reduce friction and keep you productive can make the difference between feeling like you're fighting the system and staying in a constant flow state.
🍎 macOS - Fast, Flexible & Integrated
Starting off low level, I've been working on macOS for years now, and working with Mac products has been a stellar experience for me since day one. Admittedly, I was spared from failing keyboards and the occasional issues that other people faced during the years, so this is highly specific to my experience, your mileage may vary.
I'm sure I don't have to explain the benefits of the Apple ecosystem, from the tight integration between devices to their stance on your privacy and the security of personal data.
The built-in applications such as Preview, Mail, and Calendar offer a wide range of productivity features I use on a daily basis, from working on documents, signing PDFs, handling all my mail, and managing my schedule. No need for third-party software so far.
I do prefer using iTerm over Terminal, though, as well as Dato for quick calendar access and timezone support, a must-have for remote teams!
✍️ Notion - My second brain
I obsess over personal knowledge management and keeping things organized, so when I came across Notion in 2018, it was a match made in heaven. I've been using it ever since. At this point, it has practically become my second brain, so naturally, this post was developed and written in Notion.
I'm always fascinated by the versatility Notion offers, ranging from simple use cases such as To Do lists, to providing fully-fledged no-code databases. You can truly build it into anything you can imagine.
🏔 Linear - Issue tracking perfection
Since its release one year ago, my team at Hygraph has been using Linear for managing all of our product development and engineering tickets. Linear is one of the most well-designed tools I've come across, mainly due to its strong focus on design and user experience.
With new features landing every few weeks and smaller improvements getting shipped continuously, Linear is getting better every day, and I couldn't recommend it enough for any software development project - or any other project that can make use of issue tracking.
💬 Slack - Where teamwork happens
Chances are, you've already used Slack at one point in time, perhaps you're using it with your team. With its integrations, custom emojis, and more audio features landing soon, Slack has evolved into a platform of collaboration and teamwork that's fundamental to most software companies today.
🔧 GoLand
With first-class Go language support, a powerful debugger, database browsing, and other features critical for developing reliable services, GoLand offers the all-in-one IDE experience you're used to from other JetBrains products. It's solid, receives frequent updates, and makes you go from zero to func main infinitely faster.
🧰 TablePlus - The database tool
Performing database maintenance, looking up records, whichever job on a database you need to get done - TablePlus has got you covered. With a snappy, native user interface, not only does it look good, but it performs when you need it to.
🎨 Figma - Collaborative Design
In the era of real-time document editing and seamless collaboration between people working across the globe, Figma offers everything needed for building great designs. It's no secret that most companies in the tech realm have either already transitioned to or plan to use Figma, and it truly deserves the praise.
The tools we're able to use are getting better every day, with trends like multiplayer-first software products fostering collaboration across distributed teams, as well as features we consider natural in today's world, such as cross-device synchronization, allowing us to stay flexible and connected.
I'm curious how the tools I use every day will evolve from here on, whether I'll still be using Notion in ten years from now on, but right now, I'm so comfortable with my setup that I often find myself amazed at how well things work.