Uses

The tools, software, and setup I use day-to-day as a full-stack developer. Updated when things change.

Editor & Terminal

VS CodePrimary editor. Extensions: ESLint, Prettier, Tailwind CSS IntelliSense, GitLens, Auto Rename Tag, Error Lens.

Windows TerminalWith PowerShell and a custom Oh My Posh prompt.

JetBrains MonoFont with ligatures. Easier on the eyes for long sessions.

TypeScriptStrict mode on every new project. The type errors at compile time are cheaper than the bugs at runtime.

Next.js 14 (App Router)My go-to for anything that ships to users. Server Components + Vercel deployment is a sharp combination.

React 18The mental model is solid. I use it for complex UI whether I'm on Next.js or a plain Vite project.

Node.js + ExpressWhen I need a standalone API or can't use Next.js Route Handlers.

Tailwind CSSI resisted it for a long time. Now I can't imagine maintaining a separate CSS file per component.

Framer MotionFor animations that need to feel physical. The spring physics system is excellent.

shadcn/uiWhen I need accessible, complex components (dialogs, selects, toasts) without designing from scratch.

MongoDB + MongooseMy default for most projects. Flexible schema is useful early in a project's life.

PostgreSQL + PrismaWhen the data has clear relational structure. Prisma's type generation is genuinely excellent.

FirebaseAuth + Firestore for projects where I need a backend in an afternoon.

Redis (Upstash)For rate limiting and caching. Upstash's serverless pricing makes sense for portfolio-scale apps.

VercelAll my frontend work. Zero-config Next.js deployment with great preview URLs.

RailwayNode.js backends and PostgreSQL databases. Simpler than AWS for personal projects.

GitHub ActionsCI/CD pipelines. Lint + type check on every PR.

CloudflareDNS and the occasional Worker for edge-cached responses.

FigmaUI design and component prototyping. I usually design the key screens before writing a line of code.

ExcalidrawQuick architecture diagrams. The hand-drawn aesthetic signals "this is a draft", which is the right message for architecture sketches.

NotionNotes, project tracking, and the occasional spec document.

PostmanAPI testing and documentation. I keep a collection for every project.

Claude (Anthropic)For thinking through architecture, reviewing code, and writing documentation.

GitHub CopilotInline completions inside VS Code. Most useful for boilerplate and test cases.

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