My setup

(Version end 2024)

I list my own setup because sharing is caring and it gives you some perspective on what you use and how you work. I can only encourage others to do the same.
Without any further ado, I present to you, my setup.

💻 Operating system

I am 100% a Mac user. Ipads, Iphone, Macbook, I use them all. I love the integration between all the devices and the ease of use. I'm currently working on a MacBook Pro with M3 chip & 36GB of RAM 🚀

👨‍💻 Tech Stack

  • If I could marry a programming language, it would be with php. It's been by my side for over 20 years now and it works best for me.
  • Some projects are done in Symfony but most of my projects are done in Laravel. The biggest advantage of Laravel is the huge community and ecosystem.
  • By default I use a MySQL database but also PostgreSQL.
  • My frontend skills are not that great but I can manage with Bootstrap. I use Vite as asset manager.
  • This year I've discovered TailwindCSS. I love it!
  • For Javascript, I try to stick to Vanilla Javascript as much as possible. But when I need a framework, I use Vue.js.

🛠 (Development)Tools

  • The tool I use most of the time is PhpStorm. It is one of the most complete PHP IDE's out there. I also use the Github Copilot plugin, it is a real time saver.
  • To work on MySQL databases I use Sequal Pro (nightly builds) Sequel Ace. For PostgreSQL I use pgAdmin.
  • For the terminal I prefer to work on iTerm2. Boosted with Oh My Zsh.
  • Testing endpoints and API's I do with Postman.
  • I use Notion for documentation.
  • To manage my to-do lists, I use Todoist.
  • All my accountancy tasks are done in Billit.
  • When I need some random noise to keep me focussed, I use Noisli.
  • I use a Sony WH-1000XM4 to cancel out any unwanted noise.
  • To keep me off my phone I have Forest installed (and to block site, there is a Chrome Extension).
  • Caffeine makes sure my Mac does not go into sleep mode.

📧 Newsletters Blogs

I stopped subscribing to newsletters. I was not reading them anymore. I started using Feeder to keep up to date with blogs (and still some newsletters). Here you can download an export of my feed.

🎙️ Podcasts

Last years I found myself listing to more podcast that are not only development related. Here are some of my favorites:

  • Computer Club (Dutch): By far my favorite podcast. All the latest tech news.
  • De 7 (Dutch): A daily podcast with the 7 most important news (mostly financial & politics) items of the day.
  • Mostly Technical: Hosted by Ian Landsman and Aaron Francis, Mostly Technical is a lively discussion on Laravel, business, and an eclectic mix of related topics.
  • Acquired: Acquired tells the stories and strategies of great companies.
  • No Such Thing As A Fish: Every episode they bring four (funny/interesting) facts.
  • Stuff You Should Know: If you’ve ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime, and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.

Now I want to hear from you!

Let me know what your stack is and what tools you use. Extra points if you also have a "My Setup"-page.