I get asked about my setup often enough that it’s worth writing down. This is a snapshot — it changes over time, and that’s the point. The best tools are the ones you actually use, not the ones that look good on a list.
Languages
- Python for anything AI/ML, data processing, and scripting
- TypeScript for web frontends and Node.js backends
- Go for CLI tools and systems work
- Rust when performance matters and I have time to fight the borrow checker
Editor and terminal
VS Code with a minimal setup — mostly just the language server extensions and a dark theme. Terminal is Alacritty with tmux. I spend more time in the terminal than the editor.
AI tools
Claude Code for pair programming and research. It’s good at the things I’m slow at (boilerplate, looking up APIs, exploring unfamiliar codebases) and I’m good at the things it’s slow at (architecture decisions, knowing when to stop).
The meta-tool
The most important tool is a clear plan. No amount of tooling makes up for not knowing what you’re trying to build.