Tools I Use
I'm building five ventures across green steel, sustainable fashion, goal tracking, brand management, and alcohol delivery. To make that work as a solo founder, I need the right tools. This is the stack that keeps everything running.
AI and Development
7 toolsCursor
AI-native code editor built on VS Code with inline chat and autocomplete.
How I use it: Primary code editor. Tab-complete, inline edits, and chat for exploring unfamiliar codebases fast.
Claude Code
AI coding assistant you run from the terminal.
How I use it: Multi-file refactors, code reviews, and generating implementation plans - runs alongside Cursor.
v0
AI UI generation by Vercel. Describe a component, get production-ready code.
How I use it: Rapid prototyping of UI components and page layouts before refining in code.
GitHub
Source control, issues, PRs, CI/CD.
How I use it: Repo hosting, branching, PR reviews, and automations (build, test, deploy).
Vercel
Frontend hosting and deployments with previews per branch.
How I use it: Deploying sites fast, testing changes via preview links, and keeping production stable.
Docker
Containerisation for reproducible dev environments.
How I use it: Keeping projects consistent across machines and avoiding "works on my laptop" problems.
Postman
API testing and debugging tool.
How I use it: Testing endpoints, auth flows, and webhooks quickly while building.
Design and UI
3 toolsFigma
UI design and lightweight design systems.
How I use it: Quick layout exploration, component consistency, and handoff between ideas and code.
Canva
Design tool for social content, presentations, and brand assets.
How I use it: Quick social media graphics, pitch decks, and brand collateral when I don't need Figma-level control.
Replicate
API for running open-source AI models - image generation, upscaling, and more.
How I use it: Generating product photos and brand imagery using Flux and SDXL models via the Branding Tool.
Infrastructure and Monitoring
6 toolsRailway
Cloud platform for deploying apps, databases, and services.
How I use it: Hosting backend services and databases. Brand Studio runs on Railway with CI/CD from GitHub Actions.
Cloudinary
Image and video CDN with on-the-fly transformations.
How I use it: Storing and serving all brand photos and AI-generated images. Handles resizing and format conversion automatically.
1Password
Password manager and secrets vault for teams.
How I use it: Managing API keys, credentials, and secrets across all VACSO projects from a single vault.
Sentry
Error monitoring and performance tracking for web apps.
How I use it: Catching production errors with stack traces, so I can fix bugs before users report them.
UptimeRobot
Uptime monitoring with alerts when services go down.
How I use it: Monitoring all production endpoints. Get alerted instantly if anything goes offline.
Brevo
Email marketing, transactional email, and CRM.
How I use it: Contact form emails, newsletter signups, and CRM for the personal site and VACSO projects.
Shopify and Ecommerce Stack
9 toolsShopify
E-commerce platform powering by2050 and Thirsti storefronts.
How I use it: Running two stores - by2050 (sustainable fashion) and Thirsti (alcohol delivery). Storefront API + Hydrogen for custom frontends.
Shopify Flow
Automation inside Shopify (order tagging, fraud checks, fulfilment rules).
How I use it: Automating repetitive admin tasks so the store runs with less manual work.
Klaviyo
Email and lifecycle marketing with deep Shopify data and strong automations.
How I use it: Welcome flows, abandoned cart, post-purchase sequences, and segmentation.
Gorgias
Helpdesk built for Shopify with automation.
How I use it: Managing support across email and chat, with Shopify order context inside tickets.
Judge.me
Reviews app - collects and displays product reviews automatically.
How I use it: Collecting reviews automatically and showing trust signals on product pages.
Printful
Print-on-demand fulfilment - no inventory needed.
How I use it: Fulfilling by2050 orders on demand. Products printed and shipped directly to customers.
Upsell.com (ReConvert)
Upsells and cross-sells across the customer journey.
How I use it: Testing post-purchase offers and bundles to lift average order value.
Xero + A2X
Automates Shopify payouts and posting into Xero.
How I use it: Keeping bookkeeping clean without manual reconciliation pain.
Australia Post MyPost Business
Direct integration for shipping labels and rates.
How I use it: Creating labels from Shopify fulfilment and making shipping smoother.
Analytics and Conversion Tracking
3 toolsGoogle Analytics 4
Traffic and ecommerce event tracking.
How I use it: Understanding acquisition channels, funnels, and ecommerce events beyond Shopify analytics.
Microsoft Clarity
Session replays and heatmaps (free).
How I use it: Watching where people get stuck, then fixing UX friction.
Hotjar
Heatmaps, recordings, feedback tools.
How I use it: Deeper qualitative insights when I'm actively doing CRO experiments.
Launch and Growth
2 toolsI update this list as my tools and processes evolve. Some links may be affiliate links - if you sign up through them, I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.