Justin Gordon is the Director of Marketing at Vitalize Venture Capital (an early-stage fund and angel community with a founder-friendly approach) as well as a Founding Angel Investor at Vitalize Angels (angel investing for everyone).

He is also the host of The VITALIZE Podcast and a bunch of other things.

I have personally found him to be one of my best Twitter follows as he consistently provides great insights and questions into the tech world.

What are the physical items included in your workspace?

• 13-inch MacBook Pro M1

• Apple Magic Mouse

• Amazon Basics mouse pad

• Amazon Basics yellow legal pad

• AmazonBasics Classic Lined Notebook - Ruled

• Blue Yeti Mic

• Logitech HD Pro webcam C920

• Hbada Office Task Desk Chair Swivel Home Comfort Chairs with Flip-up Arms and Adjustable Height, Black

• FEZIBO Height Adjustable Electric Standing Desk, 55 x 24 Inches Stand Up Desk Workstation, Full Sit Stand Home Office Table with Splice Board, Black Frame/Jet Black Top

• Philips 276E9QDSB 27" Frameless Monitor, Full HD IPS, 124% sRGB, FreeSync 75Hz, VESA, 4Yr Advance Replacement Warranty

• Apple Airpods

• The Startup Owner's Manual

• Jaanuu Masks

• Passport

• Post-it notes

• Sharpie Highlighter

• Citizen Eco-Drive Watch

• Cosmos Bag (Wedding gift)

• ChapStick

• SAMSUNG 50-Inch Class Crystal UHD AU8000 Series - 4K UHD HDR Smart TV with Alexa Built-in (UN50AU8000FXZA, 2021 Model)

• Lots of books/magazines

What is your favorite item in your workspace?

How do you spark creativity?

How do you keep the work-life balance?

Sharath Kuruganty is currently building all things community as the Community Programs Manager at Product Hunt.

He is also the co-founder of Shoutout, helping startups and creators turn their existing social capital into beautiful Walls of Love.

He often helps early-stage founders with growth, GTM, building in public, community and has been on advisory boards for a couple of YC startups. He is an Angel Investor who occasionally writes small checks for pre-seed startups.

What items are included in your setup?

• MacBook Pro (16-inch, 2019, AMD Radeon Pro Graphics) - Personal mac. Loved it so far. Built so many side projects(10+) on this one.

• MacBook Pro (16-inch, 2019, Intel UHD Graphics) - Work mac.

• AirPods Max - One of the best headphones I ever owned. They are light, powerful, and the sound quality is incredible.

• AirPods Pro -  Best for taking calls. Comes really handy due to the size.

• Apple Magic Keyboard & Magic Trackpad - Works like magic!

• iPad Pro 11‑inch (2nd generation)

• Apple Pencil (2nd generation)

• Apple Watch Series 4

• iPhone 11 Pro Max

• Gallaway Leather Desk Pad

• HumanCentric Wood Monitor Stand

• HumanCentric Wood Vertical Laptop Stand

• Headphones Stand

• Desk Lamp

• Autonomous SmartDesk Core

• Autonomous ErgoChair Pro

• Misc items - Product Hunt glass cup, Fred Rogers & Steph Curry figures, Apple Watch Mac stand

What software is most important to your work at Product Hunt and as the co-founder of Shoutout?

• Product Hunt for finding interesting products in tech and launching my side projects

• Twitter for connecting with my audience, creating content, and building a network

• Notion for pretty much everything I work on is stored in my notion workspace

• Google Suite for storage, email, browser

• Slack for communication

• Plausible Analytics for tracking web traffic for my side projects

• Typefully for scheduling threads and tweets

• 1Password for passwords

• Canva for poster design

• Figma for custom design

• Brandbird for elegant screenshots

• Airtable for database

• Apple Music for songs

What is your favorite item in your workspace?

‍How do you spark creativity?

How do you keep the work-life balance?

Ida Yalzadeh is a postdoc at the Charles Warren Center at Harvard. She’s currently working on a book that explores the history of Iranian racialization in the US.

She also publishes a newsletter called tiny driver about writing and reading.

During quarantine she wrote and produced a zine called Navigating Grad School as a Woman of Color.

→ twitter.com/idyalz

What are the physical items in your workspace?

• Apple Macbook Air 13"

• Dell 27 Monitor - S2721HSX

• Logitech G Series Keyboard

• Logitech MX Master 3

• Logitech C920x HD Pro Webcam

• MOKiN Docking Station & USB Hub

• Hobonichi Notebook

• Stabilo BOSS Pastel Highlighters

• Pilot G2 Retractable Gel Pens, Fine Point

• FriXion Erasable Pens

• Dinosaur Phone Holder + Monster Pencil Holder = 3D printed by my partner

• Table Lamp

• Twinkle Lights

• Queer Manifesto Print

What software is most important to your daily work?

• Scrivener (for organizing research ideas & notes in one place)

• Notion (for creating workflows and reference files)

• Shift (for managing multiple email addresses)

• Mendeley (for remembering what I have and haven't read)

• GoodNotes (for jotting quick things down)

Corey Haines is a marketer, entrepreneur, podcaster, and investor. He describes himself as “stair-stepping” his way to entrepreneurship by building a portfolio of small bets. Prior to building out this portfolio, he was the Head of Growth at Baremetrics.

What is he currently working on?
→ Swipe Files: Community, courses, and content to master marketing.
→ Default Alive: A weekly podcast on bootstrapping startups from default dead to default alive.
→ SwipeWell: Build a swipe file you'll actually use with a dedicated Chrome extension.
→ Everything is Marketing: A podcast that explores marketing in all its facets and dimensions through conversations with honest marketers and entrepreneurs.
→ And much more! Check out his full portfolio here.

What are the physical items in your workspace?

• 32” LG monitor

• Ugmonk Analog

• ATR2100

• Lume Cube light

• Logitech C920

• 2020 MacBook Pro

• UGREEN USB C Hub 9 in 1

What software is most important to your daily work?

• Splitbee (web analytics)

• Webflow (what I use to build all my sites)

• Memberstack (create a membership site)

• Jetboost (advanced search and filtering for Webflow)

• Notion (how I manage literally everything)

• Transistor (what I use for all my podcasts)

• Ahrefs (my favorite SEO/research tool)

• Convertkit (email newsletter and automations)

• Rewardful (affiliate and referral platform)

• Circle (community platform)

• Riverside (podcast recording)

• SparkLoop (newsletter referral tool)

• SparkToro (audience intelligence and market research)

• SavvyCal (scheduling tool)

• SignWell (document signing tool)

• Typefully (Twitter growth and scheduling)

• Mailbrew (newsletter consumption)

• mymind (bookmarking/saving anything)

• Grain (call recording and transcription)

• ZipMessage (async video messages)

• Reform (form builder)

• Rize (productivity analytics)

• Smart Subscriber (email preference center)

• Userlist (SaaS email marketing)

Daniel Korpai is a Product Designer. He is currently a Principal Product Designer at Craft, creating the next generation of note taking experience. He was previously a Product Designer at InVision.

→ instagram.com/danielkorpai
→ twitter.com/danielkorpai

As you can see, he is a huge fan of Apple products and he is really thankful that as a product designer he always have access to the latest and greatest devices as he’s currently designing for iPhone, iPad, Mac and also the web.

What’s in your current setup?

• MacBook Pro M1 13" - The M1 is truly game changer in my experience

• Apple Pro Display XDR - pretty amazing and huge canvas to work on

• LG Ultrafine 5K - excellent resolution density (true Retina display) at a more affordable price compared to the Pro Display XDR

• iPhone 12 Pro - great as always, also like the new design and the slightly bigger display compared to iPhone 11 Pro

• Magic Keyboard & Magic Trackpad - using a pair of them for almost 6 years now, still perfect, never had a issue with them, which is pretty unique these days

• iPad Pro 2018 with Magic Keyboard - hadn't seen any good reasons to upgrade from the 2018 model to be honest

• AirPods 2 - yes, I'm actually using quite "old" AirPods, because I find them to be more comfortable for my ears compared to the AirPods Pro

• Sony wh-1000xm3 - my choice for noise cancelling headphones. Used the AirPods Max for two weeks, but I prefer the sound of the Sony until we will have access to way more content with Spatial Audio support

• Apple Watch Series 5 stainless steel - wear it every day, love it, can't wait to see bigger updates this year :)

Josh Millgate is the Head of Design at Super, a website builder for Notion. He also creates templates like Cluster for Super in his spare time.

When he is not behind the screen he is out in nature, hiking, wild camping and practicing bushcraft.

Josh lives on the road part-time so he has shared two workspaces with us.

What items are on your desk?

• Computer: Macbook M1 Pro 14 inch

• Mouse: Logitech MX Master 3

• Keyboard: Keychron K3

• Monitor: 28 Inch IPS Acer Monitor

• Mobile: Samsung S10e

• Drink: Brass Castle beer

• Scent: Essential Oil Diffuser

• Chair: Herman Miller Mirra

What software tools do you find yourself using every day?

• Notion for planning, organization and content management

• Super for building websites

• Figma for design

• Slack for comms

• Spark for emails

• Brave for browsing

• VS Code for front-end stuff

What’s included in your mobile setup?

• Macbook Pro 15 inch Retina (2014)

• Logitech MX Master 3 Mouse

• Apple Magic Keyboard

• Large black gaming mousepad

• Mouse wrist pad

• 28 Inch IPS Acer Monitor

• Fresh cold water in glass bottle

Sabina Cabrera is a designer at MagicPath. She lives in the Upper West Side in NYC and loves to think about how people use AI to design and what the future of interfaces feels like.

Twitter (X) → x.com/theesabina

What are the main items included in your workspace?

• LG Ultrafine Monitor

• Logitech MX Keys S keyboard

• Goyard Desk Mat

• Mono Reading Lamp

• MagicPath hat

• Herman Miller Sayl chair

• PICO Desk Caddy

What is the most recent item that you've added to your workspace?

What is one change you'd like to make to your current workspace?

Walk us through your morning routine—what’s the first thing you do at your desk?

What is an item under $100 that everyone should consider adding to their setup?

What’s the most underrated app or tool you use every day?

Where did the inspiration for your setup come from?

Ákos Kőműves has spent the last 18+ years building software. He is currently a Principal Software Developer located in Hungary where he is helping startups and product teams build and ship AI-powered software.

He also writes a weekly newsletter for developers where he shares his recent learnings on React, TypeScript, Next.js, and AI tooling.

Twitter (X) → x.com/akoskm

What are the main items in your workspace?

• iPhone charging stand: FIXED MagPowerstation ALU

• Desk mat: IKEA SUSIG Desk pad, cork

• Monitor stand: IKEA SIGFINN

• Keyboard: NuPhy Air75

What is the most recent item that you've added to your workspace?

What is one change you'd like to make to your current workspace?

How do you spark creativity?

What does your typical day look like?

What do you enjoy most about WFH life?

Ben Fryc is a 3D Artist and Designer at Polywork. Not always a 3D artist, Ben was formerly a Product Designer and Manager at Mango Languages.

Working in a basement doesn't mean you can't make a little corner your own. Over the course of the past couple years, Ben has filled out a space where he can create stylized artwork for startups around the world. Ben also runs a small YouTube channel dedicated to helping people learn how to use industry standard 3D software. You can check out some of his work on Dribbble, Artstation, and Figma.

→ twitter.com/benfryc

Purple ambient light, a Nixie tube clock, and an astronaut floating across every screen — Ben Fryc's basement studio doesn't feel like a basement at all.

A fully treated basement studio — acoustic panels on the walls, a Herman Miller Embody chair, and enough screen real estate to handle Cinema4D, After Effects, and Figma at once.

Triple displays — two LG 4K monitors and a Huion Kamvas 16 drawing tablet — with an amiibo collection keeping watch between them. This is where the 3D magic happens.

A Nixie tube clock that glows like a piece of hardware from another era, next to a sign that says it all: Think Outside. Ben's desk details are as considered as his 3D work.

Air75 keyboard, Logitech MX Vertical, and every Zelda amiibo Ben could get his hands on — the desk of someone who takes both work and play seriously.

An N64 controller, a Nintendo Switch, a Polywork-branded speaker, and Star Wars figures on top — the right side of Ben's desk is a love letter to the things that got him into creative work in the first place.

What items are included in your workspace?

• Puget Systems custom built workstation with an NVIDIA RTX 3090 FE, AMD Ryzen B550, and 32 GB of DDR4-3200.

• Huion Kamvas 16" 1080p drawing tablet

• LG 32" Ergo UHD 4k IPS Display

• LG 27" Ergo UHD 4k IPS Display

• Logitech MX Vertical Wireless Mouse

• Logitech MX Master Wireless Mouse

• Razer Blade 15 Advanced 4k OLED with an RTX 3080

• Speakers - Presonus Eris E3.5 Near Field Studio Monitor

• AirPods (2021 edition)

• Shure MV7 XLR / USB Dynamic Podcasting Microphone

• LEVOIT Air Purifier

• Air75 Wireless Mechanical Keyboard

What’s the most important furniture?

• Desk - TOPSKY L-Shaped Desk

• Chair -HERMAN MILLER X LOGITECH G EMBODY GAMING CHAIR

What software do you use as a 3D artist and designer?

• Cinema4D - R25

• Octane Render

• Adobe Creative Suite (mostly for After Effects)

• Figma - for creating object shapes and textures for use in Cinema4D

• Greyscale Gorilla - materials and plugins for Cinema4D

What other decorations are in your setup?

• All the Zelda and Metroid Amiibos I can get my hands on

• Star Wars Galaxies Edge - Custom lightsaber

• Mandalorian lego sets

• Nixie Tube Clock

• Bonsai (yes its fake) - Aritificial Bonzai Tree

Ogeh Ezeonu is a freelance product designer currently working as a Senior Product Designer at Toptal, where she builds and designs digital products. She specializes in creating human-centered design for products within the finance, entertainment, gaming and e-commerce space.

Beyond working as a designer, she enjoys listening to podcasts and audiobooks as well as creating lo-fi music and building portable camera rigs from time to time.

Twitter → twitter.com/OgehEzeonu

Ogeh's desk setup is as intentional as the products she designs with bold green walls, an LG 38-inch ultrawide, and AirPods Max on a headphone stand.

The full picture — a standing desk, Haworth Fern chair, and a professional softbox light that means Ogeh is always camera-ready, whether for a client call or a creative shoot.

Every input device earns its spot — Logitech MX Keys, Apple Magic Trackpad on a Grovemade walnut tray, and an iPad doubling as a flip clock. Clean, purposeful, and very on-brand.

Dieter Rams next to Marvel — Ogeh's bookshelf is a perfect read on her taste. Serious design theory sits comfortably beside the pop culture that fuels her creativity.

Street Fighter meets the Dark Knight — Ogeh's shelf doubles as a tribute to the pop culture icons that sit alongside her design references. The best workspaces have personality.

A Sonos Move, Vitruvi humidifier, and a gold-framed ikigai print — the side of Ogeh's studio that reminds you why the work matters in the first place.

When the design work is done, this corner takes over — camera gear, an acoustic guitar, a cream armchair, and art on every wall. Ogeh's studio is built for the whole creative life.

What items are in your workspace?

• LG ultrawide 38 inch monitor (LG 38wn95c-w)

• BenQ screenBar plus

• UGMONK Analog system

• Native Union drop XL wireless charger

• Amazon echo dot 3rd gen

• 16” MacBook pro M1 Max

• Logitech MX keys

• Apple trackpad

• Logitech MX master 3

• AirPods Pro max

• Sonos move bluetooth speakers

• Caldigit dock station TS3

• Grovemade desk tray (walnut)

• Grovemade wool felt Desk Pad

• Haworth Fern chair

• Autonomous standing desk

• Vitruvi humidifier

• Shure MV7 microphone

• Blue Yeti boom arm

What software do you use as a product designer?

• Figma

• Miro

• Slack

• Iconjar

• Abelton Live

• Discord

• Notion

• Spotify

Viktor Vlahek (aka Ekaeoq) is an independent watchmaker at Viktor Watches from Croatia.

Prior to his life as a watchmaker, he earned a bachelor’s degree in computer science and used to work as a software engineer at a programming methodologies laboratory as a student.

He is now also about to begin studying architecture at TU Wien.

Let’s explore the workspace of a well-rounded creator who is bridging the digital world with the analog mechanics of time.

Twitter (X) → x.com/Ekaeoq

Where software engineering meets watchmaking — Viktor's digital workspace anchors around an Apple Studio Display, MacBook Pro M1, and a scratch-built custom split keyboard.

Viktor's desk is where the analog craft of watchmaking gets its digital foundation.

A watch dial begins taking shape on screen.

A stack of books, a chess set in the background, a calculator, and a watch movement on screen — Viktor's desk is a window into a mind that is blending pixels with the analog world.

After hours, the studio takes on a different character. Books, art, and a warm Artemide lamp help set the mood.

The other half of Viktor's world — a workshop bench where digital CAD designs become physical watch components.

Pixels to parts — Viktor's MacBook Pro displays the dial design while the milling machine inches away is ready to make it real.

An independent watchmaker's arsenal — laser engraver, milling machine, Artemide lamps positioned for precision, and workbenches covered with the tools to bring it all together.

Between machining sessions, the turntable still gets its spins.

What are the main items in your setup?

• Computer: MacBook Pro with M1 Pro

• Display: Apple Studio Display

• Mouse: Logitech MX Master

What are the different types of lighting that you have included in the space?

• Desk lamps: 2× Artemide Tolomeo lamps and one Artemide Demetra (I really like lamps)

• Favorite lamp: Xiaomi Desk Lamp Pro

You have a very unique keyboard. What is it?

• Keyboard: Fully custom, scratch-built, 3D-printed split keyboard

  • Read more about how I built it here

What do you use for audio?

• Daily headphones: AirPods Pro

• Occasional IEMs: Moondrop Blessing 2

What is the most recent item that you've added to your workspace?

What is one change you'd like to make to your current workspace?

How do you spark creativity?

What does your typical day look like?

What do you enjoy most about WFH life?

Brett Jackson is a designer who runs Sukoya Design, a solo studio focused on brand, web design, and Framer development. At his core, he’s a builder—someone who simply loves creating things, whether digital or physical.

Before Sukoya, he founded a video production and photography studio and co-founded a sustainable home construction startup. These experiences continue to shape how he approaches design today.

Outside of work, you’ll likely find him in nature where he is often walking, hiking, biking, or camping. He’s also an avid soccer player and has a unique hobby: growing Japanese maple trees.

Twitter (X) →  x.com/thebtjackson

Brett Jackson's solo design studio in full equipped with a Vernal standing desk, Gigabyte 4K monitor, Edifier MR4s, and a LEGO Japanese maple bonsai that steals the show.

Brett’s workspace is thoughtful and built for creative work.

Every detail earns its place — from the Fujifilm X100VI resting on design books to the LEGO maple bonsai perched on the Edifier MR4.

Books on display: Branding, Principles of Logo Design, Wisdom Takes Work, and The Courage to Be Disliked.

Edifier MR4, Fujifilm X100VI, and a LEGO bonsai — the details on Brett's desk are as intentional as his design work.

A addition and instant conversation starter — Brett's LEGO Japanese Red Maple Bonsai sits atop his Edifier MR4, next to a Fujifilm X100VI and a stack of design classics.

Brett grows Japanese maple trees in real life, so the LEGO version fits right in.

Before he was a brand designer, Brett ran a video production and photography studio. The Fujifilm X100VI on his desk is a quiet nod to where it all started.

The MCHOSE GX87 Ultra with a custom artisan keycap. Click clack.

Top-down and spotless — the MCHOSE GX87 Ultra resting on the Nedrelow felt desk mat. Sometimes the finer details deserve their own frame.

Workspace Setup & Gear List

• Desk: Vernal Standing Desk

• Chair: Autonomous ErgoChair Pro (Mesh Ergonomic Office Chair)

• Monitor: Gigabyte M32U 32" 4K Monitor

• Computer: Apple MacBook Air M2

• Tablet: Apple iPad Air (5th Generation)

• Keyboard: MCHOSE GX87 Ultra Mechanical Keyboard

• Mouse: Logitech MX Master Wireless Mouse

• Desk Mat: Nedrelow Magic Desk Pad

• Speakers: Edifier MR4 Studio Monitor Speakers

• Camera: Fujifilm X100VI Digital Camera

• Notebooks:

  • Muji Wirebound Dotted Notebook (To-Do Lists)

  • Midori A5 Grid Notebook (Sketching)

• Mechanical Pencil: Uni Kuru Toga 0.5mm Mechanical Pencil

• Decor: LEGO Japanese Red Maple Bonsai Tree

What is the most recent item that you've added to your workspace?

What is one change you'd like to make to your current workspace?

Walk us through your morning routine—what’s the first thing you do at your desk?

What’s one productivity trick that actually works for you?

What’s the most underrated app or tool you use every day?

Patrick Morgan is the writer of the ‘Better By Design’ Substack and Principal Product Designer at cybersecurity startup JupiterOne.

Better By Design is a weekly newsletter where he shares pragmatic strategies and tactics to guide the process of designing digital products.

He was more recently featured in edition #369 of this newsletter.

Twitter → twitter.com/itspatmorgan

Patrick Morgan’s WFH desk that moonlights as a recording studio — LG 32-inch monitor flanked by Yamaha HS5s, with a Taylor GS Mini and Fender Stratocaster always within reach.

Patrick’s setup featuring a shure SM7B, Yamaha HS5s, and acoustic panels.

Natural light, blackout curtains, and a Roland piano in the background — Patrick's studio is designed for a blend of focus and creativity.

The full picture: Patrick’s home studio was thoughtfully built for product design work by day and music production by night.

Even the lounge wall pulls double duty — triptych marble art adds visual calm while acoustic panels keep the sound tight. Design thinking applied everywhere.

A sticky-note-covered whiteboard next to a Dyson purifier, futon, and acoustic panels — proof that Patrick's creative process is as layered as his design work.

What items make up your desk setup?

• Autonomous SmartDesk Core

• Ikea ALEX drawers

• Apple Macbook Pro 14"

• LG Ergo Monitor 32"

• Logitech bluetooth keyboard

• Apple Magic Trackpad

• Logitech C920e webcam

• Apple Airpods Max

• Fender American Stratocaster

• Taylor GS Mini acoustic guitar

• Shure SMtB microphone

• AudioBox UBC Audio Interface

• Novogratz Brittany Futon

• Plants

And much more! You can view his entire item catalog here.

What software tools are most important to your work as a product designer?

• Figma (Literally all the design things)

• Notion (For my personal website along with the management for my newsletter)

• Super.so (For publishing my personal website built on Notion)

• Typical tech work stuff: Atlassian, Google Cloud, Zoom, Slack etc…

• DAW: Ableton Live

• Libraries and plugins: Native Instruments, Arturia, Izotope and SoundToys

What is your favorite item in your workspace?

How do you spark creativity?

How do you manage work-life balance?

The "desk away from desk" is a minimal laptop-only setup by a bright window where Patrick shifts mindset and breaks creative blocks.

Patrick Morgan is a designer and the creator of Better by Design, a newsletter sharing pragmatic strategies and tactics for designing high-leverage software.

Over the course of more than a decade, he’s helped companies like Leo Burnett, American Express, and Fastly craft category-leading brand and software designs.

Newsletter → betterbydesign.cc
Twitter (X) → twitter.com/itspatmorgan
LinkedIn → linkedin.com/in/itspatmorgan

Part home office, part recording studio — Patrick's space features Yamaha HS5 audio monitors, a Shure SM7B on a boom arm, and acoustic panels that tie his setup together.

When the design work is done, the real instruments come out. A Fender Stratocaster, Taylor GS Mini, and Roland RD-800 share the walls with a full set of acoustic treatment panels.

A designer's desk done right — Dell UltraSharp 4K flanked by Yamaha HS5s, a Shure SM7B on the boom, and a tan leather desk mat tying it all together.

Southern California has its perks. When the weather calls, Patrick takes the MacBook Pro and AirPods Max outside — no commute required.

Patricks’s outdoor setup is complete with an outdoor table, fire pit, and just enough SoCal sunshine to make any workday feel less like work.

Pat was previously featured in edition #219 of Workspaces. This is his updated workspace in 2023.

Workspace items

• Autonomous SmartDesk Core

• Ikea ALEX drawers

• Apple Macbook Pro 14"

• Dell UltraSharp U2723QE 27" 4K Monitor

• Logitech bluetooth mouse & keyboard

• Apple Magic Trackpad

• Logitech C920e webcam

• Apple Airpods Max

• Yamaha HS5 speakers

• Shure SM7B microphone

• Fender American Stratocaster

• Taylor GS Mini acoustic guitar

• Roland RD-800 digital piano

Software

• Substack - Newsletter publishing

• Figma - Design

• Notion - Workflow & databases

• Super - Publishing my personal website via Notion

• ChatGPT - Writing & coding buddy

• Loom - Recording video tutorials

• Readwise Reader - Saving articles for inspiration & note taking

• YNAB - Staying on top of my finances

What is the most useful item in your workspace?

What does your typical daily routine look like?

Coffee or tea?

Blake Mascali is a Product Marketing and Sales Strategy executive with 10 years experience in tech-startup leadership.

He is currently working at Dotmatics, a software startup selling to scientific R&D businesses seeking to make new drug discoveries, create new
medical treatments and develop new, synthetic chemicals and materials.

Blake evaluates market and competitive landscapes, designs strategies to take new software products to market and crafts positioning and sales strategies to attain market leadership.

Blake Mascali converted his garage and transformed it into a fully functional creative workspace — equipped with an industrial standing desk, dual 40-inch monitors, and a telescope for when inspiration needs a wider lens.

The anchor of Blake's setup: a custom-built industrial standing desk made from a WWII-era French coffee table, paired with dual 40-inch Vizio TVs and a FIFINE USB mic.

Triple-monitor productivity at its best — a 2021 MacBook Pro M1 flanked by two 40-inch Vizio LEDs, all anchored on a one-of-a-kind reclaimed wood standing desk.

Every tool within reach — MacBook Pro, dual Vizios, FIFINE mic, iPad, and a bamboo organizer. Blake's workspace is built for deep focus and zero friction.

A sticky note on the monitor says it all: "Enjoy What You Do." Blake's garage office is where product strategy meets personal craft — built from the ground up, literally.

Blake’s home office is a fully-finished garage remodel with a custom garage door that holds 16 windows opening the office to the outdoors.

Workspace Items

• Custom-built, industrial standing desk from renewed, antique, french coffee table (circa WWII)

• Orion AstroView 6 Equatorial Reflector Telescope

• 2021, 16-inch Macbook Pro (M1)

• Two, 40-inch Vizio LED TVs mounted to wall as external monitors

• Jabra Engage 75 headset

• FIFINE USB Microphone

• DEPSTECH 4K Webcam

• Walowalo XXL Bamboo Rotating Art Supply Organizer

What is the most useful item in your workspace?

How do you spark creativity?

How do you manage work-life balance?

What do you think is the main benefit of remote work?

Eric L. Barnes is a software developer and creator of Laravel News.  He's been writing about Laravel since 2012 and loves interacting with the community on Twitter.

Everything on the desk

• 13-inch, 2018 MacBook Pro

• LG UltraFine 5K Display (monitor)

• HiRise Pro

• BookArc

• ULX Desk mat

• 2 Apple HomePods stereo paired

• Field Notes notebook

• Tactile Turn pen

Daily software use

• Tweetbot

• Sublime Text

• VS Code

• PHPStorm

• IA Writer

• iTerm2

Alan Silvestri is the founder and director of strategy at Growth Gorilla. Growth Gorilla is a no B.S. content promotion and distribution agency for B2B SaaS companies. They help Software companies that are already publishing quality content, get the word out to acquire backlinks, increase traffic and signups.

Alan is also a Back to the Future and 80s fanatic, Delorean owner, and punk rocker.

What are the most important items on your desk?

• Macbook Pro

• Apple Magic Keyboard + Magic Mouse

• Apple AirPods Pro

• Sony A6400 + Sigma 16mm f1.4 lens

• Elgato Cam Link 4k

• Elgato Master Mount

• Lots of Back to The Future props and collectibles

• 80s movie posters

• Stoicism books

James McKinven is a freelance podcast and video producer, who runs the Indie Bites podcast, talking to bootstrapped entrepreneurs who have turned their side-projects into profitable, sustainable internet businesses. In his spare time, you'll find him crafting away on high-quality handmade leather goods for Whitstable Craft Co.

Follow him on Twitter where he shares a lot of the behind the scenes thoughts and numbers behind his projects: twitter.com/jmckinven

What is included in your main setup?

• M1 MacBook Air - tackles 4k video editing like a breeze and is a joy without a fan.

• M1 iPad Pro w/ Magic Keyboard & Apple Pencil - a completely unnecessary piece of kit that I love using for writing and calls.

• Apple Magic Keyboard & Mouse - I’ve always liked the Apple peripherals. Nice tactile feel to the keyboard and some lovely gesture control on the mouse (despite the frankly horrible ergonomics).

• Samsung 32" 4K monitor - I prefer dual screens, but new MBA can only take a single screen

• Shure MV7 microphone (on Rode PSA-1) - The best USB mic under $250 that I use to run my podcast. I’ve had expensive mics before, but this is perfect because I can plug it in and forget it.

• CalDigit USB-C Hub - this hub is incredible. I now plug a single cable into my laptop for everything, including the screen, charging, microphone, SD cards and more. Can’t recommend it enough.

• Sonos One speaker - I have Sonos throughout my flat and they are just sensational. The sound from this little rascal fills the room no problem. I now rarely wear headphones.

• Leather Desk Mat by Whitstable Craft Co - one of the products I handmade myself and adds a lovely surface for my keyboard and mouse.

• Dotgrid notebook & Uniball Air pen - admittedly prefer typing notes, but sometimes nice to jot some things down on a call or when I’ve had enough of my screen.

• Ikea desktop + 2 Alex drawer units - the standard desk, right? Have had these units for maybe 10 years and they are still as functional as ever.

• Herman Miller Aeron chair - the best investment to my setup by far. I got it second hand for $300 and never have back pain, ever.

What else is included in your setup?

• Lumix GH5 camera - the most versatile little 4k sharpshooter I own. Pair this with the Lumix S5.

• Aputure 120d light w/ Mini-Lightdome - best video light I’ve bought. Forget getting anything else if you want to shoot videos, this will do everything and more.

• Shure SM7B microphone (on Rode PSA-1) - this was the more expensive microphone I mentioned earlier. It’s what all the big podcasters use but I can’t really tell the difference (don’t tell anyone).

• Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 interface + Cloudlifter - just to make the microphone work.

• HAG Capisco chair - a supposedly ergonomic, yet quite uncomfortable chair you can sit on in multiple positions. I just think it looks pretty dope.

• Furna standing desk - got this for free from creator Charli Marie while I was in London. A cracking option for sit, standing. Often go here if I’ve been sitting too long.

• Ikea trolley for leathercraft tools - my tools for leathercraft used to be everywhere, but this handy little trolley means they have their own home.

• UESTA A1 cutting mat - a fantastic mat that covers the desk so I can craft away without causing permanent damage to my lovely desk.

What are your most used tools and software?

• Riverside.fm - records high quality podcasts remotely.

• Descript - mind-blowing software to edit podcasts as if they were a word doc.

• Final Cut Pro X - where the video making magic happens.

• Figma - where I attempt to design things.

• Transistor.fm - takes my podcast and sends it to the internet (hosting).

• Alfred - spotlight search, but better.

• Notion - literally runs my life (and some of my websites).

• Superhuman - overly expensive email client that I’m addicted to.

• Procreate - fun for doing drawings on my iPad.

Julius Tarng runs an independent software practice called Toolshop, where he specializes in prototyping and building highly-interactive, multiplayer, spatial experiences.

He also dabbles in making games, prototyping “weird” tools, and mentoring senior level ICs.

What items make up your desk setup?

• Natural light — I am a plant, if I don't get sunlight I can't live~

• Notebooks, Midori MD & Maruman Mnemosyne — I studied Industrial Design, and I am still gerbil-trained to draw cubes and cylinders automatically, on paper.

• Pens, Rays Gel Ink & Pilot Acroball — I bulk order pens imported from Taiwan and Japan (plug: my favorite stationery store in the US — Yoseka Stationery) just to try them out. These two are my current favorites!

• Kendama, Ozora Natural — This is niche knowledge but in 2014 there was a Kendama (Japanese wooden ball-on-a-stick) trend that swept the Facebook design team. You can do some wild stuff with it, although I've peaked at gunslingers and lighthouses. It's a great fidget toy for when you're thinking and a reminder to stand back from your desk.

• iPad pro, 1st gen, 10.5" with smart keyboard — I love this thing. If I could yeet my computer out the window, I would. With the Github Codespaces launch for Teams this week, I might be able to code full time on it!

• Kinesis Advantage 2 keyboard, custom keycaps — I've had persistent RSI since joining tech, and I have several Advantages because it's so comfortable to use. Plus, I feel like I'm docking into cyberspace whenever I put my hands on them. I cobbled together some cute keys because it's so ugly by default.

• Evoluent Vertical Mouse, left handed — I'm right handed but I got in a bad habit of putting my weight on my right hand, so I switched to a left handed mouse and it's awkward enough to force me to use the keyboard more.

• Tobii Eye Tracker 4 (not shown) — Earlier this year I started coding by voice, learning Talon Voice and using an eye tracker to control the mouse. It magnetically mounts to the bottom of my monitor.

• Uplift desk + monitor arms + hanging cubby — when I swapped my keyboard keycaps, I figured I might as well make the monitor arms cuter, too. Couple thin coats of Krylon, sanded to 3000 grit. I also custom built the keyboard and mouse tray to fit the Kinesis Advantage with minimal overhang.

• Hags Capisco Puls Chair — I feel like a space dentist.

• Library books, currently reading The Bridgesgroom by Ha Jin, Land of Big Numbers by Te-Ping Chen — Visit your local library and pick up some books!

• Hightide Hourglass

• Himekuri Sticky Calendar

• Muji Compact Alarm Clock

• Chessex 25402 dice

What software is most important to your work as a designer?

• Time Out — forces me to take breaks, customized to 10s break every 10m, and 2m break every hour, often in the middle of important screen presentations. At this point everyone I work with has seen it once and appreciates the mandatory stretch break.

• Discord — After moving to Dallas, where we don't know many folks, and the pandemic, I depend on Discord for socializing, and have convinced several clients to switch to Discord for work, too. It's just a fun place to be.

• Fish Shell — I was in search for a friendly shell that didn't require me reading deep stackoverflow posts to customize, and Fish worked great in the default Terminal app.

• Codesandbox — I do a lot of prototyping in my work, and CSB has been such a nice way to spin up small experiments. I have my eye on Stackblitz but their Typescript support is still lacking.

• Whereby — In my quest for friendly software, I found this delightful web-based Zoom alternative.

• read.cv — LinkedIn is dead, long live read.cv!

Jen Bryan is the Co-Founder, CMO and course creator at Launch Growth University, Founder of JDigital and creator of LinkInBio.ie. She is an award winning paid advertising specialist and has extensive experience working with start-ups and founders and their paid acquisition. Jen has helped companies across Ireland, UK and USA leverage phenomenal growth both nationally and internationally through paid acquisition channels.

Setup Items

• Desk: DIY job with a shed door, with repurposed shelving used for the standing area and boxes from IKEA for storage area behind the "seating" area

• Computer: iMac 27" (Magic keyboard & mouse)

• Second screen: Lenovo 24"

• Laptop: Macbook Pro M1 13 inch

• Audio: Rodecaster Pro, Rodecaster PodMic, Beats headphones, airpods wireless, Apple Homepod Mini and iPod Classic, Rode Pod arm.

• Video: DJI Mavic Air 2, Nikon D3400, DJI OM4, Green Screen (Amazon). I usually end up doing a lot of this work with my iPhone 11 also.

Where I spend most time online

• Adobe Suite (Photoshop, InDesign, Premiere etc.)

• Filmora

• Facebook Ads Manager

• Google Ads Manager

• Google Analytics

• Notion

• Asana

• Twitter

• LinkedIn

• Feedly

• iTunes

• Zoom

• Google Suite (Gmail, Docs, Sheets, etc.)

Analog Items

• Timeplanner by Cal Newport (I would highly recommend Deep Work as a good read)

• Books, books & books.