Who are you, and what do you do? What do you like to do outside of work?

Hey there, I’m Mikaela Caron. I’m an iOS Engineer at Lickability, a software studio based out of NYC, that is now fully remote. I found my way into iOS development because I’ve always owned an iPhone. I’ve had the 4S, 5S, 6S, and XS, but Apple broke my naming convention, so I’ll have to settle for whatever the next iPhone is called.

I started learning iOS development in January 2019. I wanted to keep myself accountable, so I began documenting my progress on my Instagram, and later began networking on Twitter, where I found Lickability.

In my free time, I do freelance iOS development work, but away from my desk, I love to play soccer.

What hardware do you use?

My main driver is my 14” M1 Max MacBook Pro. It recently replaced my 13” 2016 MacBook Pro that I had used for 6 years.

I am all about ergonomics, which is how I found the Moonlander. I use the Moonlander tented, with the thumb module tilted up. That position isn’t balanced, so I would situate two LaCie rugged hard drives under it, which happened to be the perfect height and didn’t move. Recently, I’ve 3D printed the Thumb Cluster Leg by tajtiger, and that’s been working out great.

I use the Logitech MX Vertical ergonomic mouse, and sit on the Autonomous ErgoStool. I have a sit/stand desk by FlexiSpot, but I built the desktop myself. I use one 28” external monitor, the UE570 by Samsung, mounted to my desk, and my MacBook is sitting on a mounted laptop stand.

I use a Shure MV7 microphone, with the Scarlett Solo, attached to a RØDE PSA1 boom arm that’s also mounted to the desk. I recently got an Elgato Stream Deck and I’m still figuring out how I want to use it in my workflow. Lastly, I use an Anker USB-C Hub for when I need USB-A ports.

And what software?

Software-wise I’m pretty minimal. I use the normal macOS terminal with ohmyzsh and Fig, mainly to do basic Git commands, but if I need to do anything more complicated I use GitKraken. For iOS development, I have Xcode, and whenever I need a basic text editor I use VSCode.

I always have Spotify, Notion, and Bitwarden open at any given time. Even though none of those are related in any way. I absolutely love using Tuple to pair program with others, and lately I’ve been using Linear to track issues on personal projects.

What’s your keyboard setup like? Do you use a custom layout or custom keycaps?

Overall, I use the standard keycaps and default layout from ZSA. I made some customizations, like shortcuts for Cmd + R and Cmd + B, which runs and builds a project in Xcode. However, my favorite custom layout is on Layer 2. I changed the semicolon to go to Layer 2, and I,J,K, and L become arrow keys. This allows me to use the arrow keys without ever needing to move my hand.

What would be your dream setup?

Honestly, over the years I’ve built this setup, and I’m pretty happy with it. The only thing I would add is some key lights that could be controlled by my Stream Deck. I livestream the process of building my own apps on my YouTube channel.