Every tool I actually use.
This is my complete tech stack — every app, service, and tool I personally use to run MKUltraman. Honest operator takes, zero vendor sponsorship, built from years of trying and discarding things that don't work.
Affiliate disclosure: Wise link on this page is a personal referral — I earn a small fee if you open an account. All other tools are listed without compensation.
Productivity
Calendly
The booking link that kills 80% of back-and-forth scheduling. I run every inbound call through it. Non-negotiable for any service business.
Google Workspace
The default infrastructure layer — email, docs, Drive, Meet. Not exciting, but the switching cost away from it is real. Worth paying for.
Notion
My operating system for client work, SOPs, notes, and project tracking. The all-in-one pitch is real for solo operators. Gets messy at team scale.
Airtable
When Notion's database hits its limits — relational data, linked records, serious filtering. I use it for anything that starts feeling like a real database.
Dropbox
Still the most reliable file sync across devices, especially on Mac. Google Drive is fine but Dropbox's desktop integration is cleaner.
Spark Email
Best email client on Mac/iOS for prioritized inbox management. The AI triage and snooze functions actually change how you handle email volume.
AI & LLMs
Claude (Anthropic)
My primary AI for writing, reasoning, and code. Better than GPT for long documents and nuanced editorial judgment. This site was built largely with it.
ChatGPT (OpenAI)
Still essential for its breadth of integrations and plugins. GPT-4o is a strong generalist. I use it when I need image analysis or voice mode.
Gemini (Google)
Best for anything that lives in the Google ecosystem — summarizing Drive docs, Gmail triage, YouTube transcripts. Context window is a genuine edge.
Perplexity
The AI search engine that replaced my default Google searches. Cited sources, real-time data, no SEO slop. Pro tier is worth it for research-heavy work.
Locally AI
For running local LLMs on-device — anything sensitive that shouldn't touch a cloud API. Slower, but private by definition.
Codex (OpenAI)
AI coding agent that handles multi-step tasks in a sandboxed environment. Useful when I want to run parallel tasks without context-switching.
AI Creative
Canva
The default for fast client-facing design — presentations, social assets, PDFs. AI background removal and Magic Studio are genuinely time-saving. Pro is essential.
Runway ML
AI video generation and editing. Best-in-class for motion content, background replacement, and generating b-roll. The gap between this and traditional video tools is closing fast.
CapCut
Fast, free video editor with solid AI auto-caption and subtitle tools. The Japanese auto-caption quality is surprisingly good. Mobile-first but desktop works too.
iMovie
Still the fastest path from raw footage to a polished cut on Mac. No learning curve, no subscription. Underrated for simple talking-head content.
Scaniverse
3D scanning on iPhone — useful for spatial documentation, product mockups, and anything where a photo doesn't capture the full object. Free and surprisingly accurate.
Browser & Privacy
Brave Browser
My daily driver. Chromium-based (all extensions work), built-in ad blocking, and no Google telemetry. The BAT rewards program is a bonus. Faster than Chrome on any hardware.
Tor Browser
For research that needs genuine anonymity — checking how Japanese geo-restricted content appears, researching competitors without leaving traces, or high-sensitivity work.
Communication
Slack
The default for English-speaking distributed teams. Still the best-in-class async chat experience despite the bloat. Channels + threads model works.
Discord
For communities, not companies. I use it for builder communities, interest groups, and anything that benefits from an always-on voice channel culture.
Signal
The gold standard for private messaging. E2E encrypted by default, open source, no ads. Recommend to any client handling sensitive business communication.
Still the dominant messaging layer for international business outside Japan. If you're dealing with Southeast Asia, Middle East, or Europe, this is where they are.
Telegram
For broadcast channels, crypto-adjacent communities, and anyone who ran away from WhatsApp. Good bots, huge file size limits, fast.
Matrix
Federated, open-source, self-hostable messaging. The technical ceiling to Slack/Discord. Not for everyone, but the right answer when you need infrastructure you own.
Rebtel
International calling without the roaming bills. Useful when calling Japanese landlines and mobiles from overseas — and for clients who still get faxes.
Design & Assets
Unsplash
Free, high-quality photography with a permissive license. My first stop for blog cover images and presentation assets before considering paid stock.
Coolors
The fastest palette generator when you need a color system quickly. Lock a brand color, generate the rest. Free tier is sufficient for most work.
Dev & Infra
VS Code
The editor. Doesn't need a pitch. Free, fast, and every AI coding tool integrates with it first.
GitHub
Where all code lives. Actions for CI/CD, Copilot for in-editor completion, and the default assumption for any open-source project.
GitLab
For clients who need self-hosted or prefer the all-in-one CI/CD pipeline model. More opinionated than GitHub but complete.
Docker
The container layer that makes local dev match production. Painful to set up the first time, essential every time after. Desktop app makes it accessible.
Vercel
Where this site lives. Zero-config deploys from GitHub, edge CDN, instant preview URLs per branch. The best developer experience in frontend hosting.
Supabase
Postgres with a REST API, auth, storage, and realtime baked in. The open-source Firebase alternative that actually lets you own your data. My default backend for new projects.
Resend
Transactional email API with a developer-first DX. Cleaner than SendGrid, cheaper than Postmark at low volume. The React Email integration is excellent.
Events & Marketing
Luma
The cleanest event management tool I've used — beautiful event pages, email reminders, waitlists, and calendar integrations. Replaced Eventbrite entirely for my events. Free tier is generous.
Mailchimp
For list-based email marketing to larger audiences. The free tier at 500 contacts is enough to start. Automation workflows and segmentation work well. Gets expensive fast at scale.
Finance & Payments
Stripe
The payment layer for every digital product and service I run. The best developer experience in payments, full stop. If you're building anything that takes money, start here.
Wise
International transfers at mid-market exchange rate with transparent fees. Essential for foreign founders in Japan moving money between JPY and USD/EUR. Killed my SWIFT wire habit.
Get started with referral →Moneytree
The cleanest Japanese bank aggregation app — syncs all your Japanese accounts, credit cards, and securities in one place. Better Japanese institution coverage than any foreign alternative.
Ledger
Hardware wallet for cold crypto storage. If you hold meaningful crypto, software wallets are not sufficient. The Nano X has been reliable for years.
MetaMask
The standard browser wallet for Ethereum and EVM chains. Use for web3 app interactions — not for long-term storage. Keep the bulk on Ledger.
Music & Audio
Spotify
Default music and podcast layer. The algorithm for discovery is still the best. Japanese-market catalog has improved significantly. Podcast distribution is worth using.
SoundCloud
For independent music distribution and discovery outside the major platforms. Still the best for electronic music communities and direct artist-fan connection without gatekeeping.
Bandcamp
The artist-first music platform — fans pay what they want, artists keep the majority. Essential for independent releases where direct ownership matters more than stream counts.
Other
TestFlight
Apple's beta distribution platform. Mandatory for iOS app testing. No friction for beta users — invite by email, install directly. The closest thing to effortless mobile QA.
Social & Content
Still the primary visual platform for Japan lifestyle and event content. Reels have real organic reach; Stories are for retention. Worth the algorithm game.
The B2B distribution channel that punches above its weight in Japan. Organic reach on long-form posts is better than almost any other platform right now.
The highest-trust research and community platform for English-speaking expats in Japan. r/japanlife, r/movingtojapan, r/JapanFinance are essential listening posts.
YouTube
The second largest search engine and the most powerful long-form trust-builder. Japan-market content in English is underserved. High ROI for anyone willing to publish consistently.
Still dominant for expat community groups and event promotion in Japan. The organic reach is terrible on pages, but expat groups remain highly active.
Web & Publishing
Substack
For email-first publishing with a built-in distribution network. The discovery engine is real. Better than a self-hosted newsletter for early-stage audience building.
WordPress
Still powers most of the web for a reason. For clients with content-heavy sites, plugin ecosystems, or long-term ownership requirements, WP + managed hosting is the safest long-term bet.
Webflow
The best no-code CMS for design-forward sites that need real customization. Faster than WP for visual work, more control than Squarespace. CMS Collections are underrated.
Squarespace
The honest recommendation for non-technical clients who need to self-manage a presentable site. Not for developers, but that's the point. Templates are genuinely good.
Framer
The fastest path from design to live site for landing pages. Component-based, responsive by default, and the AI-generated page drafts are a real accelerator.
Namecheap
Where I register all domains. Cheaper than GoDaddy, cleaner interface, no dark-pattern upsells. Free WHOIS privacy on every domain.