206 - Jim Raptis

Jim Raptis is a solo founder building a portfolio of SaaS products in public. He's a frontend developer who designs (or the opposite, it's up to you) and occasionally works as a contractor for startups.

BrandBird is a tool that turns your images into beautiful social media posts.

MagicPattern is a toolbox with 10+ tools for creatives to generate stunning graphics like patterns, gradients, and many more.

Screenshots.so is a tool that provides powerful website screenshots via a simple API.

Twitter → twitter.com/d__raptis

Hardware:

• Macbook 13' 2013
• Samsung UJ590 Monitor 31.5" 4K
• Roccat Mechanical Keyboard
• Logitech MX Master 3
• Logitech C922 Pro Stream Web Camera
• iPad Pro 2021
• Kindle
• BOSE QuietComfort 35 ΙΙ
• Elgato Wave 3

Software:

• MagicPattern - Design assets like patterns, gradients
• BrandBird – Turn screenshots into beautiful posts
• Notion – Documenting work & life
• Gmail – Emails
• Feedhive – For scheduling social media post
• Figma – Where the magic happens!
• Screenflow – Demo Video
• Toggl – Tracking time for freelancing
• VS Code (with Github Copilot) – The Code
• Cleanshot
• 1Password
• Spotify – Music buddy

Misc:

• IKEA SKÅDIS Pegboard
• IKEA Standing Desk
• Mi Led Desk Lamp
• Mi Yeelight Lightstrip

What is your favorite item in your workspace?

I’d go with the standing desk!

I have always wanted one, and it’s a game-changer for boosting productivity. Perfect for long boring calls, and a quick coding session after lunch haha.

How do you spark creativity?

For my job, it’s really important to keep up with trends and the best (and easier) way to do it is by paying close attention to all the digital and physical content that I consume daily. From Instagram ads and cool websites to physical billboards and interior designs. It helps me collect the best parts and then reproduce them in my own work. That’s more about the day-to-day inspiration.

When I want to force a creative flow (eg for a client project) I usually get inspired by searching Dribbble and similar websites to collect matching pieces for the specific project. Then, I adapt them to the current project.

How do you manage work-life balance?

For me, the trick is to have dedicated hours for working - eg. from 10 AM to 6 PM. Outside these time slots, I try to limit work-related tasks & freelancing gigs. Plus, I have a hard rule of “no work” on weekends. It helps me clear my mind and start the week fresh.