Is it a tech bro rite of passage to write-up your personal tech stack? If so, I'm about to earn my stripes.

Parley is fully bootstrapped right now. Needless to say, there’s not a lot of money to go toward software, so I have to get creative with free or low cost tools.

Maybe you’re in the same boat. If so, I hope this technological overshare helps.

Website: Framer

You're likely familiar with and might already use WordPress, Squarespace, Wix, or Webflow. Framer is nothing like these platforms. It's visual, offering a true WYSIWYG editing experience, straightforward without being dumbed down, modern (it's React-based), and incredibly powerful.

Build What You Actually Want to See

With a lot of website builders, you get a simple set of building blocks — there's not a lot you can do to customize your site. Going beyond the basics either means extensive code manipulation or throwing money into a bottomless pit of add-ons, plugin, and widget purchases. The Framer approach is different.

With Framer, you start with a blank canvas. There are templates you can start with (or purchase), but the fundamental remains the same: you can start from scratch and build anything (or in the case of templates, change anything). This is a far departure from a lot of platforms (think WordPress), where you're essentially stuck with a set structure.

Use Figma? You’ll Feel Right at Home

If you use Figma, Framer feels familiar. The UIs (infinite canvas, for example) and app interactions are similar, and the apps share the same approach to creating reusable components within your projects.

One feature that gets people excited is the Figma to Framer plugin. It enables you to copy-and-paste your Figma designs to Framer, instantly converting your artwork layers to Framer-native architecture. My primary use for this feature is prototyping frontend UIs — it's brilliant for this.

But when it comes to actually building a website, I prefer to reference my Figma file while constructing the UI directly in Framer. This approach provides better control over styling and positioning properties.

Framer’s CMS is Incredibly Versatile

My favorite feature is Framer's CMS. You're not stuck with a set database structure — you can create any number of databases (known as collections in Framer) with virtually any type of structure. I've used the CMS to create blogs, changelogs, job boards, directories, and more.

I’ll Continue to Build With Framer

Framer started as a prototyping tool but has evolved to be a powerful website builder. It's come on stage at the right time as a disruptor to traditional builders. It has some growing up to do, but I've confidently hitched my wagon to it.

My Hot Take on Other Website Builders

• Squarespace: path of least resistance to getting a simple, nice-looking website.

• Wix: Squarespace-like simplicity with more control and customization

• Webflow: Website building that reminds you of using an Adobe app — powerful yet perplexing

• WordPress: Legacy tech — I don't recommend building with WordPress

Design: Figma

I immigrated to Figma from the developed nation of Adobe Illustrator. I wish I had been less stubborn/stuck up about making the move. Figma is my new standard for creating website and app UIs, decks, and other digital artwork. Figma is just…easy. And free.

You Can Scale Design with Components

Designing in Figma centers on modularity and scalability. You use a components-based system to create reusable UI elements, and global styles and variables to standardize design across projects.

Auto Layout

One of Figma's most important features, Auto Layout, is often quoted as the slope in the Figma's learning curve. But if you come from a web development background (and have kept up with innovations over the years), Auto Layout is literally flexbox. It's a brilliant carry-over from web that makes it dead simple to align artwork in a naturally responsive column and row-based structure.

Dev Mode

A favorite feature of mine is Dev Mode. With Dev Mode enabled, artwork styles are translated to a code-based structure that makes it easy to reference a Figma file while building a UI in VSCode, Framer, or similar tools. Sadly, I no longer have access to Dev Mode as I'm using the free version of Figma.

Coding: VSCode

I don't have a lot to say here — VSCode is a well-supported, tried-and-true standard.

My only note is to anyone just getting started with coding or considering switching to Cursor from VSCode. Don't do it — there's no reason to. I haven't found any outsized value from using Cursor as opposed to VSCode (which natively supports Copilot for AI operations).

I'm all-in on trying new tools and evolving processes, but for me, Cursor is missing a truly unique selling point while also lacking the vast support and existing adoption of VSCode.

Terminal: Warp

Is it possible to get warm fuzzy feelings about the command line? With Warp, yes. Warp is an AI-native terminal that's done a lot right early on. It emphasizes UX through a logical, easy-to-interpret interface, and supports mouse and cursor operations that are typical in text editors but not command line interfaces.

Warp supports tab navigation (and you can customize the tab names), macros (called workflows in Warp), and my personal favorite: autocomplete.

If you have mastery of the terminal and pushing commands is muscle memory, then you may have little use for Warp's AI capabilities. But as I'm still early on in my own dev journey, I really appreciate being able to enter instructions using natural language and having Warp translate them to terminal commands.

Command line purists and pros might scoff at an app like Warp. For the typical user, it's a huge benefit. And I'll posit that even the most seasoned devs might see a productivity boost by using it.

Issue/Task/Project Management: Linear

When I discovered Linear, I wasn't looking for a tool to manage issues or tickets — I wanted a better Asana.

With Most Tools, Something is Missing

Throughout my career, I've tried a lot of project management tools. Back in the day, there was Wunderlist, and I loved it (RIP). Later I tried Trello — it was ok. Eventually, I fell in love with Notion, but it was too customizable. Finally, I signed up for Asana to see what the fuss was about. It was good, but not good enough.

In all of these tools, there was always something missing. I can't put words to exactly what was missing, but it was often something seemingly small yet so disappointing. I'd reach the limits of the software too soon. I felt like it should be able to do the thing I wanted it to.

Linear is Serious About UX

Like a lot of people (especially in tech), I was first intrigued by Linear's website. It was and is a striking example of the modern, dark mode tech aesthetic. And unlike some software, Linear's website isn't a sparkly veneer hiding a crappy product. Linear, the app, is amazing.

The Linear team is vocal about their focus on user experience, and it shows in the app. I say its feature set is anticipatory. Every time I've wanted the app to do something, it's been able to do it. This type of experience is only possible when the people working on an app are also its users and genuinely care about making it great.

Not Just for Devs

While Linear was built to service dev teams, it is by far the best platform I've used for general project and task management. I think a lot of the value comes from aligning my own way of working with the way engineering orgs operate.

And on the product development note, Linear has an incredible GitHub integration. It makes managing and tracking issues, commits, and PRs so easy. No duplicate efforts required and no need to cobble-together a shoddy Zapier workflow to keep your teams aligned.

As I grow the team at Ideoleap, we'll all use Linear. In many ways, it's the glue that will hold everyone together, keeping us accountable to each other and fully informed of what we're building and the direction we're heading.

Knowledge/Wiki: Notion

If you're in tech and at a startup, you're probably using Notion, so I don't have much to say that you don't already know.

My thoughts here are more foundational:

• Always make a plan

• Always document your processes

• Always maintain artifacts from your work

Notion is a great tool for accomplishing these things and I recommend it as your company's KB and your personal knowledge store.

Especially with Notion's addition of AI to the product, as long as you're good about storing information, you can rely on Notion to quickly surface answers for you without digging through your workspace.

Calendar: Notion Calendar

A while ago, I went looking for a solid work calendar. I was accustomed to the built-in calendar in Front, but wanted a separate app. I don't like the Google Calendar UI or the MacOS calendar. Thankfully, I found Notion Calendar (then known as Cron).

There are a few key features I really like about Notion Calendar:

• Favorite feature: menu bar UI — makes it so easy to view upcoming events at a glance

• Simple UI — no place to get lost or confused

• Excellent keyboard navigation support. I love being able to switch between calendar views using keyboard commands.

• Can show multiple timezones at once

• Notion database integration — see events from Notion DBs on your calendar

Brainstorming: Miro

Miro is my favorite whiteboarding app. I've tried many alternatives over the past few years (Whimsical, FigJam, etc.), but I always come back to Miro — it's simple and just works. My default behavior is to jot-down notes and doodles with pencil in a notebook, but sometimes you need more structure. With Miro, I'm able to throw anything and everything at an infinite canvas.

Everything in One Place

I primarily use the tool for planning and prototyping, so a typical whiteboard will include diagrams, links, screenshots, and sticky notes. I use an iPad and Apple Pencil to apply hand-drawn markup, which I really like being able to do.

Miro is also great when you need to work collaboratively with others — think live cursors, comments, etc. One thing I appreciate about Miro's approach to file sharing is that you can share a public link that doesn't require sign up. It seems like a no-brainer, but I've been disappointed by other whiteboarding apps that require everyone to have an account.

What about FigJam?

Since I already use Figma, I did try switching to FigJam, but it didn't stick. I couldn't find an overwhelming reason to switch and FigJam actually felt more complicated to use.

To-Do Lists: Defer

I use Linear for managing project-based tasks, but Defer, by Levi Nelson, is my favorite app for handling simple to-dos.

There are a lot of to-do list apps out there. Most of the ones I've tried are too complicated. They stack features but miss the mark on the fundamental feature: making to-do lists. I like Defer because it's basic. It runs as a menu bar app and simply shows your to-do list. Bells and whistles are minimal — you only get the options you need (like snooze or adding links).

Defer also supports webhooks, which is unique for a to-do app, though I haven't found a use case for this yet.

Last thing: Defer also has an equally simple iOS companion app — a must-have for anyone who isn't tethered to their computer 24/7.

Screenshots: Shottr

Like anyone in tech, I take and share a lot of screenshots. I don't like the built in screenshot utility in MacOS (requires too many steps). Most alternatives are bloated. But then there's Shottr. Shottr is lightweight and easy to use.

What I like most about Shottr:

• Intuitive keyboard shortcuts

• Screenshot automatically copied to clipboard

• Simple annotation interface

• Can easily resize or scale images in the UI

Browser: Arc

Arc is a recent reimagining of the web browser by The Browser Company. Under the hood, it's Chromium-based, like many modern browsers. But what sets Arc apart is its innovative user experience, which is immediately noticeable when you open the browser for the first time. In Arc, tabs and other nav items are vertically-oriented along the left edge of the browser window. While this may not seem like a ground-breaking change, it's one of the many semi-subtle ways that Arc aligns with modern work. After all, our screens are wider than they are tall, so why not give us back a bit of vertical real estate?

The vertical sidebar is also home to pinned websites and folders (think favorites). You can also separate your Arc browser into distinct workspaces. Practically, this means that as you switch between workspaces, your open web pages, pinned sites, and stored folders switch, too. There are three main features that I like about Arc.

Three of My Favorite Arc Features

Configurable UI

When I use Arc, I hide its entire UI. This way, websites fill the entirety of the application panel. I prefer this approach to using the app in MacOS's native full screen mode. And if I need to access the sidebar nav, I simply move my mouse to the left-hand side of the screen to make it visible.

Developer Mode

Whenever you're running on localhost, Arc uses a slightly modified UI that persists native browser dev tools plus a few of Arc's own. In the sidebar, tabs for local pages are visualized differently from pages from the Internet. This is helpful for differentiating production from local environments.

Split View

Split View the ability to display two websites in a split-screen view. You can configure Split View vertically or horizontally, and I use both modes frequently depending on the use case. Using Split View is often more practical for me than opening a separate browser window and then placing the windows next to each other.

Hopefully Arc is Here to Stay

At least for now, The Browser Company has shifted development focus to Dia, its upcoming AI browser. This means that Arc is getting less TLC these days. Hopefully the team continues to support it — it's a damn-good browser.

Miscellaneous Productivity Tools

Jumpshare

Jumpshare is a solid alternative to Dropbox. It's also a bit of an everything app. It handles file sharing, screenshots and screen recordings. It's great for personal use and teams.

One of my favorite features is that when you take a screenshot or make a video recording, the file is immediately uploaded to Jumpshare and the public URL for the file is copied to your clipboard — makes sharing a breeze.

DayCounter

DayCounter is a simple menu bar utility that literally counts up to or down to a date. I use it for tracking goals, the close of the current quarter, etc.

There

If you work with people who are elsewhere in the world, you're constantly checking your time against their local time. There makes this really easy. It's a simple menu bar app that you configure with the timezones you want to track. Then, you simply click the menu bar icon to see a dropdown with the current time.