Resources
A field guide to the software, services, and infrastructure behind mikemurphy.ai, AI Unplugged, and the tutorials I am building in public.
Current shelf
38
Affiliate links
10
Focus
AI Builder
The visible and invisible pieces used to build, ship, and maintain this Astro site.
8 items
The framework behind mikemurphy.ai. I use it for fast pages, Markdown content collections, clean routes, and a site that feels easier to maintain than WordPress for this AI-builder hub.
Why: The engine that keeps this whole site fast and simple to maintain — picked it specifically so writing and shipping content never feels like a chore.
Password manager that stores every login, API key, and secret I use across all devices.
Why: Autofill and secure sharing that just work everywhere, plus a CLI for pulling secrets straight into scripts.
Free static site hosting with global CDN, built-in CI/CD from Git, and generous free-tier limits.
Why: I use this to host and deploy this Astro site straight from Git — zero-config builds, fast global CDN, and a free tier that's never let me down
Free code editor from Microsoft where I write nearly all of the code behind this site and its projects.
Why: Extensions cover every language and workflow I need, and it integrates cleanly with Git, Claude Code, and remote dev setups.
Command-line package manager for macOS I use to install and update nearly every dev tool on my machine.
Why: One command to install almost anything, and it keeps my whole toolchain updated without hunting for installers.
Where every project in this stack lives — version control, issue tracking, and the deploy trigger for this site.
Why: Everything ties back to a repo here, from Astro deploys to backing up Directus schema changes.
Spotlight-style launcher for Mac that replaces a dozen separate menu bar apps with one fast command palette.
Why: Extensions for everything from clipboard history to quick calculations — saves dozens of small clicks every day.
A minimal code editor crafted for speed and collaboration with humans and AI.
Why: It is my go-to whenever I open up .txt files, code snippets, JSON, etc.
Publishing, audio, and newsletter tools that help turn experiments into useful resources.
9 items
Spreadsheet-database hybrid I use to track content ideas, resource lists, and behind-the-scenes project data.
Why: Flexible enough to model almost any workflow — views, linked tables, and automations keep scattered project data organized in one place.
Newsletter platform I use to write and send updates to subscribers, with built-in growth and monetization tools.
Why: Clean editor and solid analytics without the bloat of older email tools — makes shipping a newsletter issue painless.
Podcast hosting platform I use to publish episodes and distribute them to Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and everywhere else.
Why: Handles distribution and analytics without extra setup, so I can focus on recording instead of RSS feed plumbing.
AI voice generator I use to turn scripts into natural-sounding narration for videos and audio content.
Why: The most realistic text-to-speech and voice cloning I've tried — saves hours versus recording narration myself for every project.
Royalty-free music and sound effects library I use to score videos and podcasts without copyright headaches.
Why: Huge catalog with a straightforward license that covers YouTube and podcasts, so I never worry about takedowns.
Tool for wrapping screenshots and clips in polished device frames and mockups for marketing and app store assets.
Why: Turns plain screenshots into professional-looking device mockups in seconds without opening a design tool.
Framework for creating videos programmatically with React — I use it to auto-generate short-form video content from code.
Why: Turns data or templates into finished videos without touching a traditional editor, which is huge for repeatable content.
Screen recording and video editing app I use to capture tutorials and turn them into polished walkthroughs.
Why: Records, edits, and adds callouts in one app — no need to bounce between separate recording and editing tools.
A simple yet powerful Markdown Reader. Was my daily driver for writing Markdown until I switched to Obsidian, but I still use it frequently.
Why: One of those must-have tools that I find myself opening daily for writing and formatting Markdown or just using as a scratchpad.
Servers, short links, and self-hosted pieces that support tutorials and practical AI workflows.
10 items
Domain registration and DNS administration.
Why: No markup on renewals, and DNS management sits right alongside everything else I already run through Cloudflare.
The headless CMS powering all the content behind mikemurphy.ai — this admin panel is where every resource, post, and project gets managed.
Why: Self-hosted and flexible enough to shape the data model exactly how each project needs it, instead of fighting a rigid CMS schema.
Container platform that packages this site's backend services so they run identically on my laptop and on the VPS.
Why: Keeps every self-hosted service isolated and reproducible — one config file and it spins up the same way on any machine, no dependency hell.
The VPS that hosts Directus and every self-hosted service behind this site — the actual server this admin panel runs on.
Why: Solid price-to-performance for a small personal VPS, with enough headroom to run Docker, Directus, and a handful of other services at once.
Serverless Postgres database with instant branching — the backend data store for my app projects.
Why: Branch a full copy of the database for testing in seconds, and it scales to zero when nothing's running so I'm not paying for idle compute.
Self-hosted URL shortener that runs on my own VPS instead of a third-party link service.
Why: Full control over my short links and their click analytics, with no rate limits, ads, or vendor lock-in from a SaaS shortener.
Zero-config mesh VPN that connects my VPS, laptop, and other devices into one private network.
Why: Makes it trivial to reach self-hosted services securely from anywhere, without opening ports or running a traditional VPN server.
Modern SSH Client. Very handy tool to SSH into Hostinger VPS.
Why: Very convenient and efficient tool to use for SSH. Free version is generous and nice UI.
Reverse proxy that automatically routes traffic to every Docker container on the VPS and handles HTTPS certificates.
Why: Auto-discovers new containers and issues SSL certs on its own, so I never have to touch a reverse-proxy config by hand.
Self-hosted uptime monitor that pings every service on the VPS and alerts me the moment something goes down.
Why: Clean dashboard and easy alert integrations — it's caught outages long before a user ever had to tell me.
The AI coding, notes, and automation tools that stay open while I build and teach.
11 items
Anthropic's command-line coding agent — reads, edits, and runs code across a whole repo instead of just answering questions in a chat window.
Why: My default pair-programmer for anything code-related — handles multi-file edits, debugging, and repetitive refactors so I can focus on the parts that actually need a human.
Google's AI model — I turn to it for large-context tasks and quick research questions alongside Claude.
Why: Handles huge documents and long context better than most models I've tried, which makes it my go-to for research-heavy tasks.
An Agent made for Open Models. Run Large Language Models (LLMs) securely on your own hardware without an internet connection or cloud API costs.
Why: This is a good privacy-first agent interface that I keep in the AI Toolbox for mobile and local LLM use.
Self-hosted workflow automation tool I use to connect APIs, schedule jobs, and glue together the other tools in this stack.
Why: Visual workflow builder that's flexible enough to replace a dozen small scripts, and it runs quietly on the VPS in the background.
Local-first Markdown notes app where I keep project notes and drafts before they become published content.
Why: Plain Markdown files I fully own, plus a graph view and plugin ecosystem that make it easy to link ideas together.
Runs open-source LLMs locally on my own hardware, no API key or internet connection required.
Why: Great for testing prompts and models offline or privately, without sending anything to a third-party API.
OpenAI's CLI-based coding agent — another option I keep in rotation alongside Claude Code for larger refactors and second opinions.
Why: Handy for cross-checking tricky bugs or getting a second model's take when Claude Code and I are stuck on the same approach.
Anthropic's command-line coding agent — reads, edits, and runs code across a whole repo instead of just answering questions in a chat window.
Why: The open source AI coding agent that I use occasionally as a Claude Code backup and for Remotion projects because I like the interface and flexibility of adding local models.
IRun AI on your own terms. Connect any model, extend with code, and protect what matters without compromise. Your models, your data, your machine, wherever you open it.
Why: I have it installed on my VPS and accessible on all devices via Tailscale network
AI-powered search engine that answers questions with cited sources instead of a list of links to sort through.
Why: My first stop for research questions — faster than a traditional search, and it shows its sources so I can verify claims.
Voice dictation tool that turns speech into clean, formatted text anywhere on my Mac.
Why: Way faster than typing for drafting notes or messages, and it's smart enough to clean up filler words on its own.
