A curated list of tools, books, and gear I personally use and recommend. Some of the links below are affiliate links — if you make a purchase, I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. Thank you for the support.

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Resources I Actually Use (Tools, Gear, and Systems That Help Me Work Smarter)

This is the page I point people to when they ask what I use.

Not what I would theoretically recommend. What is actually open on my screen, in my cabinet, or on my finger right now. I write about rebuilding a life after a stroke using systems instead of willpower, and these are the tools that system runs on.

A few ground rules, because the internet has made “resources page” mean “list of everything with an affiliate program.”

I will not list a tool I do not use. Some of the links below are affiliate or referral links, which means I may earn a small commission if you sign up through them, at no extra cost to you. Some are not. I label which is which, every time. If a tool I recommend gets worse, I take it down. If something is free and works, I say so and you keep your money.

That is the whole deal. Here is the list.

AI and writing

The stroke took a chunk of my working memory. These are the tools that hold the context my brain no longer can. I wrote about how that system fits together in How to Build a Second Brain with AI.

Wispr Flow — Voice-to-text that keeps up with how I think. I dictate first drafts, notes, and most of my writing instead of typing. Paired with the mic below, it is the closest thing I have to frictionless capture. (Affiliate link.)
wisprflow.ai

MAONO PD200XS microphone — The mic I use with Wispr Flow and for recording. Clean input, simple controls, well under what a “good enough” mic usually costs. (Affiliate link.)
See it on Amazon

Claude — Where I think through writing, structure, and systems work. I use it every day. More on how in How I Use AI After My Stroke to Rebuild My Life. (Referral link.)
claude.ai

Readwise — Pulls highlights from everything I read into one place so I actually revisit them instead of losing them. Worth it if you read a lot and forget most of it. (Referral link.)
readwise.io

Notion — Where I draft and organize. The free tier is enough for most people. (Not an affiliate link.)
notion.com

Hemingway Editor — Free. Catches long sentences, passive voice, and adverbs. I run public writing through it before it goes out. (Not an affiliate link.)

Publishing and selling

If you are building something of your own, this is the stack I publish and sell through.

Substack — Where I publish essays and the newsletter. Free to start. (Not an affiliate link.)
blakesmurphy.substack.com

Beehiiv — A more business-leaning newsletter platform. Better analytics and referral tools. Worth a look if you are building a list as a business.

Gumroad — Where I sell my own digital products. Free to start, takes a cut per sale. The easiest way to sell a digital product without building a checkout. Gumroad.com (Not an affiliate link.)

Carrd — One-page sites for about $19 a year. I have used it for landing pages and link pages. Hard to beat for the price. (not an affiliate link)

Remote work

I work from wherever I am. This is the one piece of gear that removes a real point of failure.

Starlink — Reliable internet in places where reliable internet is not a given. If you work remote or travel, it takes a whole category of problem off the table. Starlink(Referral link.)

Health and recovery

One note before this section. I had a stroke. These are part of my own recovery routine. They are what I use, not medical advice, and I am not a doctor. Talk to yours before adding anything, especially if you are on blood thinners like I am. I wrote about the larger picture in My Biohacking Journey.

Premier Protein (Chocolate Peanut Butter, 30g) — Simple, consistent protein I keep on hand.

Antarctic Krill Oil (1000mg) — Phospholipid-bound EPA/DHA with astaxanthin. Part of my brain-health stack.

Alpha GPC 600mg + Uridine — A choline precursor I added to the same stack.

Oura Ring — How I track sleep and recovery. I do not have a referral link for it, but I use it daily.

What I do not list

I am not going to list every tool that happens to have an affiliate program. If it is not on this page, it is either because I do not use it or I cannot honestly recommend it yet.

If you want my take on a specific tool, email me through the media kit page. I will give you a real answer.

This page gets updated as the stack changes. Bookmark it if you are building your own.

Blake

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If you found something useful here, try it, test it, and keep what works.

As an Amazon Associate and partner of various brands, I earn from qualifying purchases. All recommendations reflect my personal opinion. Some links on this page are affiliate or referral links. If you sign up or buy through them, I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. I only list things I actually use, and I label which links earn a commission and which do not. Health and recovery items reflect my personal routine and are not medical advice.