dennis kraaijeveld
blog / tools

Tools

Look, I've tried a lot of tools over the years. Most are garbage. These are the ones that actually make my life better and help me ship faster. No affiliate links, no BS - just what I actually use.

Development

Editor & Terminal

  • Cursor - VS Code but the AI actually works. Game changer.
  • Ghostty - Finally, a terminal that doesn't suck. Mitchell's work is incredible.
  • Starship - Makes your terminal prompt not look like trash from 1995.
  • nvim - For when I want to feel like a real programmer.
  • Claude Code - Actually useful AI pair programming. Not just autocomplete nonsense.

Languages & Frameworks

  • TypeScript - JavaScript but it doesn't hate you. Why would you use anything else?
  • React - I know everyone has opinions about React. But it just works. Component-based, predictable, and the ecosystem is massive.
  • React Router - Full-stack framework built on web standards. Next.js is getting too complicated for its own good.
  • Tailwind CSS - Finally, CSS that doesn't make me want to quit programming.

Tools & Services

  • OrbStack - Docker but it doesn't eat your battery alive. Fast, clean, and actually works on Mac.
  • Vercel - Deploy React apps without thinking. Just works.
  • Fly.io - Heroku before Salesforce touched it and ruined everything.
  • Figma - The only design tool that doesn't make developers cry.

Productivity

Apps & Software

  • Linear - Jira but designed by people who actually code.
  • Raycast - Spotlight but it doesn't suck. Saved me hours already.
  • Obsidian - My second brain. Where good ideas go to actually survive.
  • Whispr Flow - Talk to your computer and it writes code. The future is here.

Hardware

Computer & Setup

  • MacBook Pro M1 Max - Fast enough that I never think about it. Perfect.
  • AirPods Pro - Blocks out the world so I can actually think.
© 2025 • dennis kraaijeveld
X GitHub LinkedIn
/