I used to download every new app that hit Product Hunt. My dock had 47 icons. My productivity was negative.
These days I’m ruthless. Software has to earn its place or it’s gone. After a year of testing, here are the tools that made the cut — and a few that didn’t.
The Communication Fix
Slack is a mess. There, I said it. We switched to Basecamp for project communication and it was like quitting a bad habit. No channels to manage. No notification overload. Just messages organized by project, with to-dos and files attached. It’s not “modern” but it’s sane.
For teams that outgrow Basecamp, Linear for issue tracking and Notion for documentation is a powerful combo. The key is having fewer places to check, not more.
The Design Tool That Replaced Adobe
Figma isn’t new, but it’s still the best design tool I’ve used. Real-time collaboration, component libraries that actually make sense, and a plugin ecosystem that fills any gap. I canceled my Adobe subscription six months ago and haven’t missed it once.
The new AI features are hit-or-miss. “Make this design responsive” works about 60% of the time. The other 40%, it breaks layouts in creative ways. Use the AI for inspiration, not execution.
The Developer Essential
Cursor deserves another mention because it’s that good. But for non-coders, GitHub Copilot Chat in VS Code is surprisingly accessible. Ask it to explain code, suggest improvements, or debug errors in plain English. It’s like having a patient senior developer sitting next to you.
The days of coding alone in silence are over. Whether that’s good or bad depends on your personality, but the productivity gains are undeniable.
The Spreadsheet Killer
Airtable bridges the gap between spreadsheets and databases without requiring a computer science degree. I use it for content calendars, inventory tracking, and even planning vacations. The interface is intuitive, the automations save hours, and it integrates with everything.
Excel still wins for pure number crunching. But for organizing complex information? Airtable is in a different league.
What I Deleted
I deleted Todoist (too many features), Evernote (slow and bloated), and Trello (kanban doesn’t match how I actually work). The best software fits your workflow, not the other way around. If you’re constantly adapting to your tools, you have the wrong tools.
Simplify your stack. Your brain will thank you.