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

Hi there! My name is Tiago Ávila, and I’m a software engineer based in Brazil. For the past few years, I’ve been working remotely for a U.S. company, where I primarily use C#/.NET and TypeScript with Angular to develop and maintain web-based systems.

Beyond my day-to-day work, I like exploring other programming languages and technologies. I really enjoyed studying Elixir, which I still use for personal projects, and I’m currently focused on Rust. My interest in Rust led me to start building video game emulators—I’ve already created one for the Chip-8 and am now working on a Game Boy one. This interest in low-level programming has grown, and it even led me to buy an Arduino, which I’m excited to start experimenting with soon.

Outside of technology, I make sure to have a healthy work-life balance. I enjoy working out at the gym and riding my bike on the weekends. I like spending my free time with my family—especially my wife and my mom.

Among my hobbies, the main one is reading, as it gives me a great break from screens. I also enjoy watching movies or series with my wife and playing board games with family and friends.

When I take vacations, the main plan is to travel to really disconnect from everything.

I used to play guitar and recently bought an electric drum set, which has been a lot of fun.

What hardware do you use?

I primarily use a Dell G15 laptop, which is configured as a dual boot. I use Windows for my work-related tasks and Linux for personal study.

Lately, I’ve been focused on improving the ergonomics of my workspace. I’ve invested in a new chair, a standing desk, and an ergonomic vertical mouse, the DeLUX M618PD. For my display, I use a wide second LG monitor, which significantly helps my workflow by reducing the need to constantly switch between windows. For meetings and music, I use a Logitech G435 headset.

And perhaps surprisingly, I also rely on a notebook and pencil. I find that having something physical to write on helps me better prototype and organize my ideas.

And what software?

For my professional development, my main IDE is JetBrains Rider, which I use for my C#/.NET projects. My team also has a subscription to Cursor, an AI-powered IDE, which I’ve found incredibly useful for its advanced features that help me write and understand code more efficiently. I also use LinqPad for fast prototyping of C# code or for analyzing SQL queries.

For my personal projects, my preferred code editor is Visual Studio Code because of its extensive ecosystem and flexibility with various programming languages.

Regardless of the IDE, I really enjoy Vim/Neovim and integrate its capabilities whenever possible. For Rider, there is the IdeaVim plugin, and for both Cursor and VS Code, I use vscode-neovim. These plugins allow me to maintain a highly efficient, keyboard-centric workflow, keeping my hands on the keyboard and avoiding the mouse for common tasks.

Beyond my code editors, I use a few other key tools to streamline my work. To manage my Git repositories, I use Fork, which provides a clear and intuitive graphical interface. Notion is my go-to for project management and documentation. I use DevToys, which I think of as a “Swiss Army knife for developers,” for quick tasks like formatting JSON or converting data. I’ve also been exploring Wave Terminal, an open-source terminal that integrates file previews, editing, and other “superpowers” to make the command line even more powerful. For managing my clipboard history, I rely on ClipClip on Windows and CopyQ on Linux.

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

I use a Moonlander keyboard with a custom layout, which I designed specifically for my workflow.

When building it, my main goal was to optimize for comfort and efficiency. I created the layout to minimize hand movement and avoid stretching for keys, so you’ll notice that some are intentionally left unassigned. I also made sure to preserve some muscle memory from regular keyboards, like the familiar Alt + Tab movement, to make the transition seamless.

I incorporated a Vim-like arrangement and placed my most-used commands and keys on the home row, allowing me to stay focused and productive without my hands leaving the keyboard.

Furthermore, I’ve created dedicated layers with macros for common coding tasks, such as debugging or writing specific queries, to save time and reduce repetitive motions.

What would be your dream setup?

I’m quite happy with my current setup. The only way I feel like improving on it would be a super ultrawide monitor and a new laptop in the future.