My stack & tools
How I work, not just what I own.
Code is the single source of truth now. I don't want design to be the master file anymore. The tools I keep are the ones that make it easy to get code in and out, fast. Increasingly that means a real MCP or CLI, so the tools can talk to each other instead of me moving things between them by hand. I lean on the code tools as much as I can, then jump out when I need to iterate, design, or touch something by hand. And I'm not married to any of this. That's the whole point of monthly plans. The stack shifts when a better tool shows up.
What I reach for
The tools
Build & code
Claude CodeMain coding tool. Most work starts and ends here.
It's the center of the stack. I run everything I can through it.
CodexSecond coding tool, pulled in here and there.
Options are good. I'm not locked to one model or one tool.
Next.jsThe framework I build sites on.
My main thing. Flexible, fast, mine.
SanityPrimary CMS anytime I control the build.
It has an MCP connection, so I operate the whole thing from Claude Code and build tools on top of it. For anything long-term I'd rather build in Sanity and build the tools than sit in a locked-down CMS.
FramerSpinning up quick sites.
My primary site tool for years, still love it, and the Claude Code connections have me watching it closely. Reach for it when speed beats control.
PaperDesign-to-code, fast.
Love the speed of getting things in and out and straight into code. When I run the flows I've done in Paper, it's just smoother.
- React Native (Expo)
Works well with Claude Code, and the builds are fast.
- Supabase
Database, auth, and an MCP tool that lets me handle things from Claude Code.
- Anthropic API
For getting Claude into the product.
- OpenAI API
Transcriptions, and a good comparison point for AI product tooling.
- Resend
Transactional email for now. Eyeing Klaviyo for lifecycle.
- Retool
Livin already had it set up. I used it to build a menu health app: what people request, what they rate, what to cut, and what to fix.
Design
FigmaCore design tool.
I've used it as long as it's been out. Deep muscle memory, great tools, and Figma Motion has me curious.
- Pangram Pangram
Go-to font kit.
The starter kit covers personal and commercial work, the fonts stretch far, and the pricing is right.
Motion & animation
- Jitter
Quick animations and fast Lottie exports.
Easy to manipulate, easy to get something out when I need it.
- In-code animation
Building motion directly in code.
Increasingly where I live. Keeps motion tied to the source of truth.
- Figma Motion
Testing for flows and transitions.
Excited about it, still comparing against Paper.
Media & music
DaVinci ResolveEditing video, and now photos with the new photo mode.
One tool covering more of the pipeline.
- Ableton Live
Making beats and producing.
It's how I make music.
Knowledge & ops
NotionKnowledge base and the hub for everything.
It talks to everything, so I operate in and out of code with it. Used to hate it for how clunky it was. They resurrected it, and in the AI world I think they're going to be crushing it.
- RevenueCat
Subscription management and paywalls. They also put out great content and best-practice information.
- PostHog
Product and marketing analytics. The MCP is clutch for setting things up fast.
- Sentry
Crash reporting, and from what I hear the go-to tool.
Small tools
- Permute
Converting file types.
Fast, no fuss.
Built in the open
Repos
What I ship publicly. The proof lives in the commits, not the résumé.
jcoger/jaycoge.com
This site. A card-deck personal world with View Transitions, built on Next.js + Sanity.
TypeScriptjcoger/FontDrop
A fully open-source desktop typography tool for exploring color combinations and pairing typefaces. The current repo is an early version; the video shows a later, larger brand-tool direction.
TypeScript
How I actually work
Moves I run
The skills and workflows behind the tools — the keystrokes that do the real work.
/code-reviewMulti-agent code reviewFans out a review of the current branch across correctness, reuse, and efficiency lenses.
Catches what one pass misses before anything ships.
/improveCodebase audit to plansSurveys a repo and writes prioritized, self-contained plans another agent can execute.
Turns a vague 'make it better' into a real, ordered backlog.
- Marketing skills
A broad library of practical marketing skills and workflows for research, positioning, content, and growth.
My main marketing reference when the work needs more than a good interface. It keeps the product and distribution thinking in the same loop.
- Compound engineering
A library of repeatable engineering workflows for planning, implementation, review, and shipping.
The operating layer behind how I turn a vague idea into researched, reviewable, shipped work.
What shaped the thinking
Reading
Articles, talks, and books that changed how I work more than any tool did.
- LinkDive Club
An excellent design podcast with an amazing slate of guests. I am in awe of how frequently they put out new episodes.
- LinkFonts In Use
An amazing resource for typefaces. I love going deep with the advanced search and looking at images from the 1960s through the 1990s.
- Just Enough Research
Just Enough Research
Research is often pushed aside, but this book gives you practical methods to make sure it is baked into your process. Coming from an academic background myself, it was a game-changer for understanding the difference between academic research and fast-paced design research.
- Conversational Design
Conversational Design
An easy read and a useful framework for developing more conversational interfaces. Written years ago and more important than ever.