Ty Barho

Software I use, gadgets I love, and other things I recommend.

I get asked a lot about the things I use to build software, stay productive, or buy to fool myself into thinking I’m being productive when I’m really just procrastinating. Here’s a big list of all of my favorite stuff.

Workstation

  • 16” MacBook Pro, 8-Core Intel Core i9, 32GB RAM (2019)

    It's dated, but it works. I suspect I'll be upgrading to the M1 at some point in the future when I finally destroy this one with all my app building.

  • Apple Pro Display XDR (Standard Glass)

    Yeah, right. I used to use a large screen, but with 6 kids have retrained myself to work on a laptop, so I can be more of a digital nomad. The trick is thinking deep, not wide.

  • Remarkable 2

    My go to for thinking. No distractions, just a blank slate of unlimited paper. I use it for everything from sketching out app ideas, taking meeting notes, and even writing out prayers.

Development tools

  • VSCode

    Seems to be today's standard. I barely modify it, but do use Co-Pilot on and off.

  • iTerm2

    I'm honestly not even sure what features I get with this that aren't just part of the macOS Terminal but it's what I use.

  • Expo (React Native)

    My go-to for native app development. If you can get through the initial build headaches, it's a great way to get a native app up and running quickly.

  • NextJS

    What I use for most public sites (including this one). I like to write in MDX with some React components sprinkled in, so there's really not a better way.

Design

  • Whimsical

    IMO the best tool for wireframing and flowcharting. Highly productive, fun, and... well... whimsical.

  • Sketch

    My go to for vector graphics. I suppose I just haven't learned Figma yet.

  • Canva

    I've really grown to love Canva for making nice looking images for social media, blogging, and print. You can get so much decent work out in so little time.

  • Tailwind

    I have a love hate relationship with Tailwind. I love how lean it keeps your CSS, but hate how LONG it makes your classNames.

Productivity

  • Superhuman

    Best email client ever made. Enough said.

  • Pivotal Tracker

    This imo has been the best project management tool I've used. Been using it forever, but looking a little closer at Linear these days.

  • G-Suite

    Back in the day, I couldn't stomach Microsoft products, so we switched to Google. I suppose I've just stuck with them since then.

  • Slack

    Standard fare chat for most teams. Enough said.

Cooking

  • Traeger Ironwood 880

    My go to for low and slow. Makes 18 hour briskets a snap.

  • Masterbuilt Gravity-Fed

    I bought this for hot and fast (read: steaks). The design is ingenious, but it's not super well made. If Traeger built it, it would be the best thing on the market.

  • Ooni Pellet Oven

    My kids love this thing, and yes, it will get to 900 degress, and cook a full pizza in about 85 seconds.