What I Use

People often ask me what tools and technology I use for my work in community building, content creation, and staying productive. Here’s my complete setup!

Last updated: November 2025

💻 Hardware

Computer Setup

Primary Machine: Apple iMac 24” (2021)

• M1 chip with 8GB RAM
• Perfect for community management, content creation, and multitasking
• Beautiful display for design work and video editing
• Currently planning to upgrade to a newer model soon

Portable Setup: MacBook Air 13”

• M1 chip - incredibly powerful for its size
• My go-to for workshops, events, and working on the go
• All-day battery life for those long community events
• Lightweight enough for daily commute

Previous: Transitioned from Samsung to Apple ecosystem in 2024

Mobile

iPhone 15 Pro Max

• Primary communication device for community management
• Great camera for capturing moments at NAA events and camps
• Long battery life essential for full-day programs
• ProRAW for better photo quality when documenting our work

Why I switched from Samsung:

• Better integration with MacBook and iMac
• Superior camera for social media content
• More reliable for video calls during mentorship sessions
• Ecosystem benefits (AirDrop, Handoff, etc.)

Accessories

Audio:

• AirPods Pro - For calls, podcasts, and focus time
• iPhone built-in mic for quick voice memos and ideas

Desk Setup:

• Magic Keyboard and Magic Mouse (came with iMac)
• Simple, clean desk - minimal distractions
• Good lighting for video calls with mentees

🛠 Software & Apps

Productivity & Organization

Task Management:

• Apple Reminders - Simple, syncs across all devices
• Google Calendar - Scheduling meetings, events, and workshops
• Notion (exploring) - For project documentation and knowledge management

Communication:

• Gmail - Primary personal and business email
• Outlook - For organizational communications
• Slack - Team communication at NAA
• Zoom - Video calls for mentorship and remote workshops
• Google Meet - Quick meetings and check-ins

Note-Taking:

• Apple Notes - Quick thoughts and ideas, syncs everywhere
• Google Docs - Collaborative writing and planning
• Notion (learning) - Long-form documentation and wikis

Community Building & Management

Primary Platform:

• Circle.so - My #1 recommendation for community platforms
  • Why I love it: Clean interface, easy member management, great for cohort programs
  • Use case: Could scale Mentors Outreach or NAA programs here
  • Features I value: Spaces, events, member directory, mobile app

Social Media Management:

• Native apps - Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn (posting directly)
• Canva - Quick social media graphics and post designs
• Buffer (occasionally) - Scheduling posts across platforms

Email & Newsletters:

• Exploring Substack or ConvertKit for newsletter (coming soon!)

Video & Content:

• iMovie - Basic video editing for social media content
• Canva - Graphics, presentations, social media posts
• QuickTime - Screen recordings for tutorials
• iPhone Camera - Primary tool for photos/videos at events

Development & Website

Website Management:

• VS Code - Code editor for website updates (Jekyll site)
• GitHub - Version control and hosting code
• Netlify - Website hosting and deployment
  • Why Netlify: Free for personal sites, automatic deploys, easy SSL
  • Built-in forms (using for contact page)
  • Great performance and CDN

Analytics & SEO:

• Google Analytics - Website traffic and behavior tracking
• Google Search Console - SEO monitoring and site health
• Netlify Analytics - Server-side analytics (more privacy-friendly)

File Storage & Backup

• iCloud - Primary cloud storage (photos, documents, backups)
• Google Drive - Shared documents and collaboration
• Time Machine - Local backups of MacBook and iMac

🌐 Services & Platforms

Web Infrastructure

Hosting & Deployment:

• Netlify - Static site hosting (this website)
  • Free tier is incredibly generous
  • Automatic HTTPS
  • Form handling
  • Deploy previews

Domain & DNS:

• Domain registrar - Managing bakarimustafa.com
• Cloudflare (considering) - For additional CDN and security

Analytics & Monitoring:

• Google Analytics - UA-69813719-2 (traffic analytics)
• Privacy-first approach - Cookie consent, opt-out options

Communication & Email

Email Providers:

• Gmail - bakari@bakarimustafa.com (primary)
• Outlook - Organizational work

Business Tools:

• LinkedIn - Professional networking and content
• Google Workspace (considering upgrade) - For better collaboration

Payment & Donations

Current:

• Buy Me a Coffee - Simple donation widget on website

Considering:

• Stripe - For future paid workshops or consulting
• PayPal - Alternative payment option

🤝 Community Building Tools I Recommend

Based on my experience with Mentors Outreach and Networking African-Australians:

For Starting Out (Free/Low-Cost)

Circle.so ⭐ My top recommendation

• Best for: Building membership communities, cohort programs
• Pricing: Free up to 100 members, then paid tiers
• Why I love it: Clean UX, member engagement features, mobile app
• Perfect for: Mentorship programs, leadership cohorts, alumni networks

Discord

• Best for: Real-time communication, younger audiences
• Pricing: Free (paid for advanced features)
• Good for: Study groups, casual community chat

WhatsApp/Telegram

• Best for: Quick coordination, community in developing regions
• Pricing: Free
• Use case: Works well for refugee/diaspora communities with limited data

For Scaling Up

Slack

• Best for: Team communication, organizational work
• Pricing: Free tier, then paid
• Currently using for NAA team coordination

Zoom

• Best for: Virtual workshops, one-on-one mentoring
• Pricing: Free tier (40 min limit), then paid
• Essential for remote mentorship sessions

Content & Engagement

Canva

• Best for: Social media graphics, presentation design
• Pricing: Free tier is excellent, paid for teams
• Essential for creating engaging content quickly

Typeform/Google Forms

• Best for: Applications, surveys, feedback
• Use case: NAA program applications, post-event surveys

📱 Mobile Apps I Use Daily

Productivity:

• Gmail, Outlook - Email management
• Google Calendar - Schedule everything
• Apple Reminders - Quick tasks
• Notes - Capture ideas

Social & Community:

• LinkedIn - Professional networking
• Instagram - Visual storytelling
• Twitter - Real-time updates
• WhatsApp - Direct community communication

Learning:

• Podcasts - Commute learning
• Kindle - Reading on the go
• YouTube - Tutorials and inspiration

Utilities:

• 1Password (considering) - Password management
• Safari - Primary browser (privacy focus)

💡 Setup Philosophy

Why I Choose These Tools:

1. Simplicity over complexity - Fewer tools, used well, beat dozens of half-used apps
2. Privacy-conscious - Respecting user data (hence cookie consent, privacy policy)
3. Accessibility first - Tools that work for diverse communities
4. Mobile-friendly - Many NAA students access everything via phone
5. Cost-effective - Maximize free tiers, invest where it matters

What I’ve Learned:

• Don’t chase shiny tools - Master what you have before adding more
• Mobile matters - Our community members are often mobile-first
• Free ≠ cheap - Many free tools (Netlify, Circle.so free tier) are excellent
• Integration > perfection - Tools that work together beat perfect isolated tools
• Simple scales - Complex setups break when your community grows

🔄 Tools I’m Exploring

Currently Testing:

• Notion - For comprehensive knowledge management
• ConvertKit/Substack - Newsletter platform (coming soon!)
• Loom - Video messages for async communication
• Calendly - Meeting scheduling automation

Considering:

• Airtable - Database for tracking mentorship matches
• Zapier - Automation between tools
• Riverside.fm - Better podcast recording quality

📚 Resources That Helped Me Choose

Communities:

• uses.tech - Collection of developer /uses pages
• Circle.so community forum - Learning from other community builders
• Product Hunt - Discovering new tools

Learning:

• YouTube tutorials for all software
• Community management podcasts
• Direct conversations with other community leaders

🤔 Questions?

Want to know more about any of these tools?

• Reach out on Twitter or LinkedIn
• Email me at bakari@bakarimustafa.com

Building a community and need advice?

• Happy to share what’s worked (and what hasn’t!)
• Circle.so affiliate link coming soon if you want to support my work

This page is updated as my setup evolves. Check back occasionally for updates!

Inspired by uses.tech and Wes Bos