Tools of the Trade
What I use.
The hardware, software, and habits behind the work. Inspired by the /uses pages around the web — everything here earns its place.
Workstation
MacBook Pro 16" (Apple Silicon)
Daily driver for everything from design systems to Laravel. Lately it runs local models too — experiments, not the daily workflow.
Studio Display
One big, color-accurate canvas beats two mediocre ones.
Standing desk + chair
Sit, stand, repeat. The back outlasts the deadline.
Editor & Terminal
VS Code
Tuned with a minimal theme, ligature-friendly mono font, and strict TypeScript everywhere.
zsh + git CLI
Aliases for everything done more than twice a day.
Claude Code
Agentic engineering as a first-class part of the workflow — with the same review discipline as any other code.
Stack of Choice
TypeScript + React + Next.js
The front-of-house default. This site is the proof.
Node.js + GraphQL on AWS
APIs and microservices — Lambda when it's bursty, containers when it's not.
Laravel + Pest
The side-project stack. Draft Slot runs on it with seasonal scaling on Vapor.
Emerging Stack
Newer bets — what I'm reaching for on fresh builds.
FastAPI + Python
Typed Python services that start fast and stay readable. The backend for new ideas.
TypeScript + Deno
TypeScript without the build-tool tax — used where it earns its keep.
Microservices on fly.io
Small services deployed close to users. Cheap to run, simple to evolve.
Quality Bar
Jest + visual regression
If it isn't tested, it's a rumor.
Lighthouse CI
Performance budgets enforced by robots, not vibes.
WCAG 2.2 AA
Accessibility is the baseline, not the stretch goal.
Away From Keyboard
Home renovation tools
The tinkering instinct doesn't stop at the keyboard.
A camera
Mostly pointed at two English Bulldogs.
Puzzles
Jigsaw on the table, logic puzzles on the phone, systems in between.