It would take forever to describe all the software I use regularly, but here's the stuff I consider to be most important...
Principles 📖
I try to keep things as simple as possible when it comes to the software I use. This hasn't always been the case, but I'm now using these principles to guide my decisions:
- Prefer web-based tools to installable tools. Tha ability to log in and work on any machine is huge, and reduces reliance on my laptop.
- Use the right tool for the job, but balance against the complexity cost of introducing a new tool.
- Prefer default configs over complicated custom setups.
Core Stuff 📕
These tools form the base on which most of my other stuff works. I use them every day.
- Google Suite - I use GSuite for almost all my emails and calendaring. Most of my important stuff lives on Google Drive, synced to my laptop. Where possible, I share all my work drives with my personal drive so I have access to them via one account. I use Google sheets, docs and slides for a lot of work stuff. I hate that I depend so much on google but the alternatives just don't work as well.
- 1Password - Security is not a dirty word. I rely on 1Password to manage all my passwords and much of my 2FA.
- Pocket - I use pocket to save everything I want to read or listen to later.
- Notion - My external brain. Everything that can lives in here.
- Airtable - If I can't do a thing in Notion, I reach for Airtable.
- Things - My working todo lists.
General 📔
These tools have a supporting role, and I couldn't do without them. I happily pay for many of these.
- SavvyCal - I use this for scheduling meetings and whatnot.
- Slack - I use slack for almost all my work comms, but also for a lot of personal chat.
- Signal - Slowly replacing WhatsApp as my default non-work messaging app.
- Loom - Sharing short videos. I use this all the time.
- Zoom - Like most folks, I use this for pretty much all my video calls.
- Figma - Replaced sketch as my main design tool in late 2019. FigJam replaced Miro on 2022.