The Tools I Use to Run Everything

I get asked about tools constantly. “What do you use for writing?” “Which AI tool is best?” “How do you stay organized running multiple businesses?” The honest answer is that I’ve deliberately kept my toolkit small. The tools I use are carefully chosen, deeply integrated into my workflow, and earn their monthly cost every single month. I’m not a tool hoarder. Each one solves a real problem. Here’s the complete stack I use to run everything.

Key Points

Fewer, deeper tools beat many shallow ones: I’ve consolidated my stack to tools I’ve truly mastered, rather than experimenting with dozens of half-adopted solutions.
AI is central but not everything: Claude, Claude Code, and Claude Cowork are foundational, but I still use specialized apps for design, finance, and communication.
Simple beats complex: Apple Reminders, Apple Notes, Google Sheets. The best productivity system is one you actually use.

AI and Coding

The foundation of my work is AI, but that doesn’t mean one tool does everything. I use multiple AI tools intentionally.

Claude Pro is my primary thinking partner. I spend more time in Claude than any other tool because it excels at nuanced reasoning, writing, and breaking down complex problems. For long-form thinking, drafting blog posts, or working through business strategy, Claude is irreplaceable. I’d replace it with nothing.

Claude Code changed how I approach building software. It’s a dedicated AI agent designed for coding, and using it feels like pair programming with a thoughtful engineer. I use it for writing this website, refactoring code, debugging, and building new features. I’ve mostly abandoned my code editor in favor of working directly in Terminal with Claude Code. If you’re writing code and not using Claude Code, you’re working harder than you need to.

Claude Cowork is the newest addition to my workflow and it’s quickly becoming essential. It integrates with Apple Notes and Apple Reminders, which means my task management and note-taking flow directly into my AI-assisted workflow. I use it for organizing projects, managing tasks, and doing the kind of desktop work that used to require bouncing between five different apps. The combination of Claude Code for development and Claude Cowork for everything else covers about 80% of my daily computer work.

Google Gemini Pro fills a specific gap. I use it for tasks where Google’s ecosystem integration matters, particularly when working with Google Workspace content or when I need a different perspective on a problem. Having access to multiple AI models means I’m never dependent on a single provider.

I’ve tested dozens of other AI tools. Most are solving problems I don’t have. I care about depth with tools I trust, not breadth with tools I’m learning.

Development Infrastructure

Beyond AI, I need reliable tools to build and ship. I’m opinionated here because I’ve used the wrong stack before.

GitHub is where my code lives. Version control is non-negotiable, and GitHub is the standard for a reason. Any alternative would work, but GitHub’s ecosystem is unmatched.

Vercel hosts this website and most of my projects. Vercel’s integration with Next.js, Astro, and my Git workflow is tight. Deployments are instant, edge functions work beautifully, and the free tier lets me host side projects cost-free.

Supabase is my go-to for databases and authentication. It’s Postgres under the hood with a great API layer, auth, and real-time features built in. For side projects and MVPs, Supabase lets me skip the entire backend setup phase and get straight to building features. The generous free tier doesn’t hurt either.

Railway handles deployment for projects that need more than static hosting. When I need a proper backend server, background jobs, or something that doesn’t fit the serverless model, Railway makes it dead simple. Push to deploy, reasonable pricing, no DevOps headaches.

Render is my backup deployment platform and where I run a few specific services. Similar to Railway but with different strengths for certain workloads. Having options here matters because vendor lock-in on infrastructure is a real risk.

Trigger.dev handles background jobs and scheduled tasks. When I need something to run on a cron, process webhooks asynchronously, or handle long-running operations, Trigger.dev integrates cleanly with my TypeScript codebase. It’s the kind of tool that eliminates an entire category of infrastructure complexity.

Resend is how I send transactional emails. Password resets, notifications, receipts. It’s built by developers for developers, the API is clean, and it just works. I moved away from SendGrid and haven’t looked back.

Astro is my framework for this site and anything content-first. It ships zero JavaScript by default, which is exactly what a personal website needs. You can read more about my approach to systems over one-off solutions here.

Design Tools

I’m not a designer, but I need to iterate on designs quickly.

Figma is where mockups and collaborative design live. I use Figma to sketch layouts before coding, share designs with collaborators, and iterate on visual ideas. It’s the industry standard for good reason.

Affinity (Designer and Photo) is my Adobe alternative. I switched from the Adobe suite years ago and haven’t regretted it. One-time purchase, no subscription, and it handles everything I need for serious design work.

Pixelmator Pro rounds out my image editing on macOS. For quick photo edits, batch processing, and anything that doesn’t need the full power of Affinity, Pixelmator Pro is fast and native. It feels like it belongs on the Mac in a way that most design tools don’t.

Writing and Publishing

Writing is core to how I communicate. My tools here reflect that priority.

Openmark is my own tool, built specifically for the way I write. It’s a distraction-free Markdown editor that handles blog metadata, publishing workflow, and MDX conversion. I’m biased, obviously, but I built it because other options weren’t fit for purpose.

Claude (again) is my drafting partner for every post. I outline the idea, write a rough draft, and iterate with Claude before publishing. See my daily routine for more on how I structure writing time.

MDX is the format I use for all blog content. It’s Markdown with React components baked in, which means I can embed interactive elements, code examples, or custom components without leaving the writing flow.

Communication and Collaboration

I run multiple businesses and collaborate with teams. Communication tools matter, but I keep this layer thin.

Slack is where team communication happens. I use it for quick syncs, announcements, and async discussions with anyone I work with regularly. I’ve configured it ruthlessly: muted channels I don’t need, status automation so people know when I’m focused, and integrations that bring important notifications to me rather than me hunting for updates.

Email (Gmail) is still my primary asynchronous tool for external communication. I’m not using a “zero inbox” system; I’ve made peace with email as an archive. I have filters, labels, and a quick-delete habit.

For internal team communication with Rotate, we’ve experimented with Loom for asynchronous video updates. It’s useful, but Slack’s primary.

Project Management and Organization

This layer is intentionally lightweight. I’ve learned that complex project management tools slow me down more than they help.

Apple Reminders is my task manager. It syncs across all my devices, integrates with Claude Cowork, and does exactly one thing well: keeping a list of things I need to do. I’ve tried Todoist, Things 3, Asana, and a half-dozen others. They all add complexity I don’t need. Apple Reminders plus the Siri integration means I can capture tasks from anywhere instantly.

Apple Notes is where ideas, meeting notes, and quick reference material live. Again, it integrates with Claude Cowork, which means my notes become actionable context for AI-assisted work. The search is good, the sync is instant, and I never worry about data portability because it’s all on my devices.

Google Sheets is my project tracking layer. I have a master sheet for Rotate projects, one for side projects, and one for personal focus areas. It sounds primitive, but spreadsheets force clarity: if you can’t fit your projects into a simple grid, you have too many projects. They’re free, they’re collaborative, and I never have to learn a new interface.

The philosophy here: if a tool becomes overhead rather than acceleration, it’s a bad tool for your context. Most teams’ project management tools are overhead.

Finance and Operations

Running businesses means tracking money. I keep this simple.

Stripe handles payments for anything that needs payments. It integrates everywhere and is the standard for good reason.

Gusto handles payroll and HR. When you’re running businesses with employees or contractors, payroll compliance isn’t optional. Gusto makes it painless and handles the tax filings I never want to think about.

TaxJar automates sales tax. If you sell anything online across multiple states, you know sales tax is a nightmare. TaxJar integrates with Stripe and handles the calculations and filing automatically. It’s one of those tools where the ROI is measured in hours of sanity saved.

Copilot Money is my personal finance tracker. I like seeing everything in one place without manually entering transactions. It pulls from all my accounts, categorizes spending, and gives me a clear picture of where money goes each month. For business finances, I defer to an accountant rather than trying to manage everything myself.

Substack is where Signal Flare (my newsletter) lives. I publish weekly, and Substack’s simplicity is the point. I’m not trying to optimize unsubscribe rates or A/B test subject lines obsessively; I’m writing for an audience that chose to listen. A simple platform gets out of the way. I’ve looked at alternatives like Beehiiv, but Substack’s constraints are features, not limitations.

Hardware

Tools aren’t just software.

Mac Mini M4 (base model) is my desk machine. I bought it specifically for AI-heavy workloads. Running local models, processing large codebases with Claude Code, and handling multiple development environments simultaneously. The M4 chip handles it all without breaking a sweat, and the base model Mac Mini is absurdly good value for what you get. It’s quiet, tiny, and powerful enough for everything I throw at it.

MacBook Pro for mobile work. I value the Apple ecosystem integration for development and the seamless handoff between desk and laptop.

Studio Display for external work. One big screen beats multiple small ones for my workflow. I’m heads-down focusing on one thing at a time.

Apple Magic Keyboard with Touch ID. I want to go mechanical. I really do. But I need that Touch ID button for authentication, and no mechanical keyboard gives me that. The day Apple releases a mechanical keyboard with Touch ID, I’m buying it immediately. Until then, the Magic Keyboard does the job and the biometric unlock is worth the trade-off.

Autonomous AI Desk (the “AI” in the name is purely marketing, it’s just a standing desk). I raise and lower it a few times a day. The standing part isn’t the point; movement is. It’s well-built, reasonably priced, and the programmable height presets mean I actually use the standing function instead of leaving it at one height forever.

The Cost

Here’s the rough monthly accounting:

Claude Pro: $20
Google Gemini Pro: $20
Infrastructure (domains, hosting, Supabase, Railway): ~$30
Stripe fees: variable, ~$50-100/month on business payments
Team tools (Slack, etc.): ~$20
Gusto: ~$40
TaxJar: ~$20
Cloud storage/backups: $10 (Google One)
Total: roughly $210-260/month, excluding hardware and contractor costs

That’s lean for someone operating multiple businesses and building actively.

The Philosophy

I didn’t arrive at this stack quickly. I’ve tried Notion (too complex), Obsidian (too precious about note-taking), Linear (great but premature for solo work), and dozens of AI tools (most solving non-problems). I’ve mostly abandoned Cursor as a code editor in favor of working directly in Terminal with Claude Code. The tools keep getting simpler, not more complex.

The rule I’ve internalized: every tool must earn its place. It should accelerate work, not become work itself. If you’re spending more time maintaining your productivity system than actually producing, you’ve failed.

Read more about how I think about AI tools here and the business infrastructure I’ve built if you want deeper dives on specific categories.

The tools will change. What won’t change is the principle: fewer, deeper, intentional. Master the basics, add tooling only when you hit a real constraint, and regularly audit whether each tool is pulling its weight. That’s the real system.

Last updated: March 2026. I’ll keep this post current as my stack evolves.