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Tagged Productivity

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Jun 18, 2026·4 min read

Your experience is a runtime dependency

AI agents are already very capable, but they don't automatically have the judgement that makes you effective in your current role. Skills and agent instructions are how you package that experience so the agent can use it.

AIAgentsAgentic Engineering+3 more
May 20, 2026·3 min read

Getting cmux to hand HTML files back to my real browser

cmux 0.64.5 flipped the default for opening local HTML files: they now preview inside cmux instead of launching your system browser. One settings key flips it back.

cmuxTerminalmacOS+1 more
Apr 24, 2026·3 min read

Migrating from Ghostty to cmux

cmux is built on libghostty and reads my existing ~/.config/ghostty/config, so the move from Ghostty was effectively a relaunch. Here is what it actually got me: workspaces with PR status in the sidebar and an embedded browser for opening plans and PRs next to the terminal that owns them.

TerminalcmuxGhostty+3 more
Apr 07, 2026·8 min read

Making Claude’s research cache an on-demand skill

I kept my research cache and skills, but removed the global trigger that made Claude load them on every task. Here is what worked, what added friction, and why I now invoke research when needed.

Claude CodeAISkills+3 more
Mar 22, 2026·5 min read

Building a custom Claude Code status line

Claude Code gives you a JSON blob and a shell script hook. I used it to build a multi-line status line with repo info, GitButler branches, cost tracking, and rate limits in one session.

Claude CodeAITerminal+3 more
Mar 11, 2026·4 min read

Ghostty tab titles from git repo names

Using a zsh hook and Ghostty configuration to show the git repo name in terminal tab titles.

GhosttyTerminalZsh+2 more
Mar 10, 2026·11 min read

My dotfiles setup: how I manage my dev environment

I've been asked about my dotfiles a few times, so here's the full breakdown — GNU Stow for symlinks, multi-identity Git, 1Password SSH, AI agent configs, and a bunch of shell tricks I've picked up along the way.

DotfilesTerminalZsh+3 more
Mar 06, 2026·7 min read

Migrating my terminal setup to Ghostty, Zinit, and Starship with Claude

How I used Claude Code to migrate my terminal and shell configuration, preserve my existing integrations, and check the result.

AITerminalGhostty+3 more
Jan 23, 2026·6 min read

AI as an abstraction layer: reviewing outcomes and implementation

How AI-assisted development compares with earlier abstractions such as SMTP libraries, and why I expect more of our work to involve specifying and verifying outcomes.

AIDevelopmentMCP+1 more
Jan 14, 2026·2 min read

Fixing iTerm2 Initial Directory: When the UI fails, use the Shell

Using iTerm2’s Send text at start setting to open new terminal sessions in a chosen working directory when the Initial Directory setting does not take effect.

iTerm2macOSZsh+1 more
Oct 28, 2025·4 min read

Clearing GitHub Copilot CLI context between tasks

When a Copilot CLI conversation accumulates unrelated task history, I start a new context and give it a brief based on the current code.

AIProductivityDevelopment+3 more
Oct 21, 2025·10 min read

Creating custom GitHub Copilot chat modes in VS Code

How I use task-specific chat modes for issue writing, planning, tests and backlog analysis, with Markdown templates to adapt to a project.

AIVS CodeProductivity+3 more
Oct 03, 2025·3 min read

Upgrading My Wife's Portfolio to TinaCMS with the GitHub Copilot CLI

Using GitHub Copilot CLI to integrate TinaCMS into my wife's portfolio, including JSON content schemas, visual editing and repository instructions.

AIGitHub CopilotTinaCMS+3 more
Sep 17, 2025·4 min read

Building a portfolio site with Gemini, GitHub Spark and Copilot

How I used Gemini for the specification, GitHub Spark for a React frontend, and Copilot for refactoring and parallel development on a portfolio site.

AIGitHub SparkGemini+4 more
Sep 16, 2025·3 min read

My AI-Powered Workflow: Building a Full-Stack App with ChatGPT and GitHub Copilot

How I used ChatGPT to plan a URL shortener, assigned the implementation to GitHub Copilot, and reviewed the resulting pull requests.

AIGitHub CopilotChatGPT+2 more
Sep 15, 2025·5 min read

The Conprism: The Illusion of Precision in Estimates and Star Ratings

Why I prefer estimates and rating scales that acknowledge uncertainty, with examples from T-shirt sizing, planning poker and five-point feedback.

ProductivityEstimationFeedback+2 more
Aug 19, 2025·4 min read

I Let Copilot Refactor My App, So You Don't Have To (The Wrong Way)

I had a seemingly simple refactoring task on a sample project and I thought, "Let's get GitHub Copilot to do the heavy lifting!". What followed was a spiral into chaos that taught me a crucial lesson about using AI the smart way.

AICopilotRefactoring+2 more
Aug 13, 2025·5 min read

A Guide to Mastering GitHub Copilot on github.com

Unlock a new level of productivity by moving beyond the IDE and mastering GitHub Copilot directly on github.com. This guide covers the essential techniques for setting up, creating effective requests, parallelizing your work, and mastering the feedback loop.

GitHubCopilotAI+2 more
Aug 04, 2025·4 min read

Redesigning My Blog with an AI-Powered Workflow

My blog needed a facelift. Instead of weeks of manual CSS changes, I used Gemini for planning and GitHub Copilot for execution to completely redesign my site. Here's how the AI-assisted process worked.

AIGeminiGitHub Copilot+3 more
Jun 26, 2025·4 min read

From Conversation to Documentation: A Modern Dev Workflow with AI

We solve complex problems and then face the daunting task of writing documentation. What if the documentation wrote itself? Discover a workflow that turns a simple conversation with an AI into polished ADRs and blog posts, saving you hours.

AIProductivityDevelopment+2 more
May 16, 2024·3 min read

Goodbye Microsoft Teams bar... Hello Productivity

We've all been there, you're in a meeting, you start sharing your screen and things are going great... next up you need to do something at the top of your screen and you can't because the Microsoft Teams bar is in the way. You can't move it, you can't hide it, you can't do anything about it. Or can you?

CollaborationProductivityMicrosoft Teams
May 23, 2022·1 min read

GitHub Projects and Issues

Are you tired of your average planning tools? Take a look at what you could be using if you switched to GitHub Projects and Issues 😉

GitHubProductivityGitHub Issues+3 more
Mar 26, 2018·6 min read

Set which chrome profile for Visual Studio to use

At MVP Summit this year one of the valuable things I learnt (which I can share ) was from Colin Dembovsky (ALM MVP) which was Using Chrome to Solve Identity Hell. Now I knew chrome profiles existed but never thought of using them to solve the problem of different identities, in-private mode was a way of doing things but you always lost that when closing the session so wasn't that great. Not going to talk much about that here, you can read his post to find out more.

Visual StudioProductivityChrome
Sep 23, 2014·2 min read

SQL Prompt 6.4 Release

I used to highlight a bunch of text (a couple of statements) then press F5 to execute that statement. With this new release you are able to easily execute the current statement by pressing Shift + F5.

SQL PromptProduct ReleaseProductivity