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Those of us who work in software all spend countless hours grinding away on our laptops to push bits and bytes around. We get set in our ways. We use the tools we are given. We get the job done. Many of us could benefit from a few “dev hacks” – kind of like “life hacks” that you see in short-form media, but for developers (or engineers or whatever kind of software title you bear). Here’s a list of dev tips that have helped me, and that I hope can help you.
#1. Buy a laptop case for your stickers
Stickers are like tattoos for inanimate objects, and the greatest canvas for dev stickers is the dev laptop. The only problem is that when the laptop goes, so too go the stickers. If it’s a corporate laptop, then IT department will curse you for making them scrape the stickers off.
What’s the solution? Buy a laptop case, and put your stickers on the case instead of directly onto the machine. That way, you can easily remove the stickers whenever you want! You could even turn old cases into wall art. Laptop cases are typically inexpensive, so there’s no reason why not to buy one.
Here are my laptop stickers on a hard plastic case:
#2. Use Excalidraw for nice diagrams
Excalidraw is an online diagraming tool that is easy to use and makes beautiful diagrams. It is free to use, and you can pay-to-win with advanced features. I use it all the time. It’s incredible. Check it out:
#3. Invest in a decent audio/video setup
Ever since the COVID shutdowns, everybody has virtual meetings. You need to dial in, appear on camera, and speak on a microphone. You might as well look good and sound good while doing it. It’s more professional, and others will subconsciously think more highly of you. So, what should you get?
| What you need | What I use |
| A high-quality USB microphone with a boom arm | Blue Yeti |
| A 4K webcam | MacBook Pro webcam / Sony ZV-1 |
| Dual desk lights, angled downward | 2 x Elgato Key Light |
| Noise-cancelling headphones | Sony WH-1000XM5 |
Here’s my setup:
Also, use those headphones to listen to some Lo-Fi music while working!
#4. Keep your snacks and drinks close
When you’re in the flow state, you do not want to be interrupted. Don’t let your hunger or thirst be an interruption. Keep a stockpile of your favorite snacks and drinks within arm’s reach. You could hold a stash of Reese’s peanut butter cups in a drawer. You could put a coffee machine on your desk. I keep a mini-fridge stocked full of Cheerwine, Ito En green tea, and Liquid Death cans in my office.
#5. Become part of tech community
Joining a tech community is one of the best ways to level up your skills. You will meet awesome people and become inspired by the ideas they share. I know I wouldn’t be the Panda I am today if I didn’t get involved in the Python community and the Testing community. There’s a big difference between being a user of a technology and being part of the community for the technology. Go find local meetups for tech that interests you. Attend a conference. Contribute to open source projects. Put yourself out there!
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