I bounce between Mac, Windows, and Linux daily. Honestly, the tools matter more than the OS at this point. Great software is great software, and I’ve been lucky enough to build a career on top of things other people built well.
This is the stuff I actually reach for. Not a “best of” list, not sponsored, not comprehensive. Just software that makes me better at what I do. Or at least makes the work more fun.
Software Development #
JetBrains Rider #
Cross-platform .NET IDE. Fast, smart, and doesn’t need Visual Studio’s weight to get the job done.
Visual Studio #
The OG. Heavy, but when you need the full .NET debugging experience, nothing else comes close.
Neovim #
Vim reborn. Lua config, LSP native, and a plugin ecosystem that won’t quit. :wq is a lifestyle.
Git #
The version control system that won. Love it or hate it, you can’t ship without it.
JetBrains DataGrip #
SQL IDE that actually understands your schema. Autocomplete that works across joins.
DBeaver #
Universal database tool that actually works. Connect to anything, query everything.
PostgreSQL #
The database that keeps getting better. Extensions, JSON support, and rock-solid reliability.
AI #
VS Code Agents #
Native agent mode inside the editor. Let the assistant plan, edit files, and run commands without leaving VS Code or babysitting a separate CLI.
Codex #
OpenAI’s open-source coding agent. Terminal-native, sandboxed by default, and you can swap the model behind it whenever.
Azure AI Foundry #
Microsoft’s AI app stack. Build agents, point them at your data, ship them on Azure. The enterprise wrapper for everything you’d otherwise glue together yourself.
Infrastructure #
K3s #
All of Kubernetes in a single binary. Perfect for homelab, edge, and production deployments.
Terraform / OpenTofu #
Infrastructure as code. OpenTofu if you prefer the open-source fork without the license drama.
Tailscale #
WireGuard-based mesh VPN that just works. Connect everything without opening a single port.
Grafana #
Dashboards for everything. Pairs with Prometheus, Loki, and Tempo for the whole observability stack.
k9s #
Terminal UI for Kubernetes. Makes cluster management feel like a video game. Way faster than raw kubectl.
Lens #
The Kubernetes IDE. When you want to point and click your way through a cluster without shame.
Cloudflare #
You love them. You hate them. Your DNS is already there. Their edge network is everywhere, their pricing is unbeatable, and their product sprawl is terrifying. Stockholm syndrome as a service.
Shell & Terminal #
Zsh #
Bash’s cooler sibling. Tab completion, globbing, and plugin support that actually makes the terminal enjoyable.