When I reached the middle of my second year of university, my interests started to become more than just a hobby or a timepass. I needed a better system that would aid me from my AI development and research to my creative endeavours. Over time, I’ve built my go-to software stack that helps me with everything from coding and AI to video editing and music production.
These 13 tools have become an essential part of my workflow, and I can’t imagine working without them.
Whether you’re a software engineer, AI enthusiast, or content creator, these tools can help streamline your process. Let’s dive in!
My Notes/Journal/Second Brain App of my software stack
Obsidian
First and foremost the main app that has really helped me more than I thought it would was Obsidian. I had tried different notes apps like Notion, Evernote, Keeps, OneNote. But I felt they were either too feature rich or had too little. Then I thought let me just try obsidian which I had already used before but did not find interesting. But to my surprise this time around it just felt like the exact thing that I needed.
Then like most obsidian setup videos on youtube I used the popular Zettelkasten method to organise my notes. I was kind of altering back and forth and finally settled with a modified Zettelkasten setup. I’ll explain my setup in detail on a later blog.
So this is where all my thoughts, thinking process, prompts regarding my various projects tailored for different AI tools and the reports of my project are all captured. And the most interesting feature according to me is the graph view. Once you have enough notes and interlinks..ooooh the best feeling like the perfect gear shift while riding a bike or the zipping smash that you hit during a badminton game that just kisses the side lines.
Coding and Development Software Stack
My go-to software stack for my coding and development workflow are VS Code, Warp and Docker. These are my essential tools for writing code and building applications.
Visual Studio Code
VS Code was like finding the perfect pair of jeans—it just fit. I didn’t need to try other editors; it adapted to every language and task I threw at it. I started using this IDE naturally just like that, without even trying out other IDEs. This just adapted to all the languages and development I was doing like C, C++, python, JS and everything. Well you may say, isn’t that what an IDE should do? But it is what it is…
- Lightweight yet powerful
- Extensions for Python, JavaScript, and AI development
- Built-in GitHub integration
And mainly its ability to connect to github and servers directly.And especially servers where you can easily access, view and manipulate the files is something really magical. VS Code is like a swiss army knife has a tool for every situation you can be in.
Oh and I haven’t even mentioned the customisation abilities of VS Code, the layout, the icons, the theme, the font, literally anything you can think of is customisable.
Warp – A Modern Terminal for Developers
Warp feels like switching from dial-up to fiber internet. Real-time autosuggestions and AI-powered commands mean I’m not just working faster—I’m thinking faster. It is a blazing-fast terminal designed for modern developers. Unlike traditional terminals, it offers:
- Autosuggestions & AI-powered commands
- Customisable themes
- Collaboration features
If you spend a lot of time in the terminal, Warp is a game-changer.
Docker – A Must-Have for AI & Software Development
ocker is an essential tool for containerized development. At first, Docker felt like learning to drive a stick. Frustrating, awkward, and full of false starts. But once I got comfortable, it was like unlocking a hidden superpower—suddenly, deployment and environment issues stopped being problems and started being puzzles I could solve. I use it to:
- Run AI models in isolated environments
- Deploy applications without dependency issues
- Streamline collaboration in software projects
For any developer working with AI, cloud applications, or web dev, Docker is non-negotiable.
And once you start to figure out the nuances and the best practices for docker and you begin to use it in the interactive mode it is an entirely different ball game altogether.
AI & Tools Stack
Ollama
With Ollama you start with using local LLMs and you are limited only by the specifications of your system. You can actually run a 70B model locally if you have a system capable enough. Now that Ollama has access to models in Hugging Face you can choose the model that you like and it could even be multimodal models.
You can also use these models in python code where you can also have an agentic workflow through CrewAI or Langgraph something like STORM from stanford.
Enchanted LLM – Front-End for AI Models
For developers working with the Ollama models, Enchanted LLM provides an easy-to-use interface built on Swift to interact with local LLMs. It enhances my AI development workflow by making model testing more efficient and elegant.
Creative Software Stack
Just like coding and development, Blender | UnReal Engine helps me visualise concepts in 3D, Davinci Resolve | darktable | PhotoscapeX brings those visuals to life, MPC Beats helps me add a personal audio signature.
Blender – 3D Modeling & Animation Powerhouse
When it comes to 3D modeling, animation, and game assets, Blender is my go-to tool. Whether I’m creating game environments or testing out 3D ideas, it’s a free and open-source tool that packs a punch.
And recently the animation done in blender received an oscar for the best animation 2025. So it is a very powerful tool that is capable of modelling, sculpting, animations, VFX, compositing and even video editing.
Unreal Engine – High-End Graphics
Unreal Engine is where my creative ideas go to grow up. The first time I rendered a 3D scene and saw the light catching every surface—it felt like I’d unlocked a hidden level of reality. It is my go-to tool when I need:
- Realistic graphics for environments
- Rendering complex 3D scenes
- Mainly, rendering cinematic clips.
Simply put if stunning visuals are a priority, Unreal Engine is the way to go.
DaVinci Resolve – High-End Video Editing Software
When I need to edit videos, DaVinci Resolve is my tool of choice. Whether it’s for programming tutorials, demos, or creative projects, its professional-grade editing and color correction tools are unmatched.
DaVinci Resolve is the best editor that handles the .exr files from render really smoothly. So, much can be done from just the free version but I highly recommend getting the paid version. It is so worth the money.
Darktable – RAW Photo Editing & Workflow Management
Darktable is a professional-grade photo editing tool, great for:
- Editing high-quality RAW images
- Enhancing screenshots for presentations
- Managing a photography workflow
But the learning curve for darktable is so steep, but once you overcome that, you get such awesome edits that are on par with lightroom edits. You can also get various color and black&white film emulation presets for darktable.
PhotoScape X – Simple Yet Powerful Photo Editing
PhotoScape X is my quick-and-easy image editing tool. I use it for:
- Creating social media graphics
- Lightweight photo enhancements
It’s an underrated alternative to Photoshop, especially for developers who need fast, simple editing.
MPC Beats – For Music Production
MPC Beats is an essential tool for my music production experiments. It helps with:
- Creating soundtracks for projects
- Experimenting with AI-generated music
- Adding custom audio to video content
If you’re into music production, beat making, or audio editing, MPC Beats is a great tool to have. The MPC workflow is sought after by various popular music producers both in the past and present.
Utility Tools:
Good tools aren’t just about creativity—they’re about eliminating friction.
Local Send – Effortless Android-to-Mac File Transfer
Local Send is an open source alternative to AirDrop for Android-to-Mac transfers. It’s fast, privacy-friendly, and perfect for:
- Transferring files between devices without the internet
- Sharing large AI models between machines
- Seamless cross-platform workflow
For developers working across multiple OS platforms, this is a lifesaver.
These are my 13 go-to software stack that forms the backbone of my workflow. From coding and AI development to video editing and file management, each tool plays a vital role in boosting productivity and creativity.
Which tools from this list do you use? Let me know in the comments!
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