ABOUT
Hey, I'm Damian Hodgkiss.
I'm a senior staff engineer at Sumo Group where I lead the development of the AppSumo marketplace.
In the past, I built Sumo.com (now Bdow) and the original KingSumo, scaling to hundreds of thousands of users and millions of dollars in revenue.
I'm also technical solopreneur, using my software engineering skills to create my own version of freedom.
Background
I started my developer journey in 1995 as a self-taught software engineer. I started developing Turbo Pascal BBS applications and moved to C applications on Linux.
After that, I started developing GUI applications for Windows, including one of the first Windows GUI changers, eFX.
This led to starting my first company and developing a SaaS website for software skins allowing users to upload and share their own skins.
Following on from the success of eFX, I co-developed Napigator, a software utility for Windows that allowed users to view and connect to different servers on the Napster peer-to-peer file-sharing network.
In the mid naughties, I had a web development agency where we developed a number of websites and software applications for clients.
In 2013 I teamed up with Sumo Group to develop the prototype for what would become Sumo.com, and over the years developed other projects including KingSumo and SumoMe, and the Next.js frontend for AppSumo.
Things I like
Music
They say music calms the savage beast. I can't speak for the beasts but it calms my mind at least.
Tennis
I play tennis because cardio is boring, and tennis lets me keep fit while being fun.
Learning
I enjoy learning new things, especially when I can teach them to others.
Fishing
There is nothing like the peace and solitude of floating in the ocean far away from the internet and people.
USES
Tools I use
A curated list of the tools and software I use on a daily basis for development and productivity. Most of these have been part of my workflow for quite a while and come highly recommended.
Workstation
Mac Studio, M1 Max, 64GB RAM
My primary development server with a 10-core CPU, 24-core GPU, and 64GB RAM. Runs all my Docker containers and development environments, which I can access remotely from my MacBook Air when needed.
15" MacBook Air, M3, 16GB RAM
My portable workstation for remote development. I use Cursor's remote SSH capabilities to connect to my Mac Studio when I'm away from my desk, giving me the full power of my desktop setup anywhere.
Dell U4919DW 49" Ultrawide
An immersive 49-inch ultrawide monitor with 5120x1440 resolution. The 32:9 aspect ratio is perfect for multitasking, essentially giving me two 27-inch QHD displays in one seamless screen.
Logitech MX Keys for Mac
A backlit wireless keyboard designed specifically for Mac. Features smart illumination that adjusts to ambient lighting, perfect key stability, and seamless device switching between my Mac Studio and MacBook Air.
Audio/Video
Lumina Webcam
A high-quality 4K webcam with excellent low-light performance and AI-powered features. Perfect for video calls and content creation.
Elgato Wave DX
Professional XLR microphone with pristine audio quality. Paired with the Wave XLR interface for perfect audio levels and zero latency monitoring.
Elgato Stream Deck+
A customizable control panel with LCD keys and touch strip. I use it to automate common tasks, control audio levels, and manage streaming and recording settings.
Development
Cursor
My primary editor with powerful AI capabilities. The remote development features and integrated terminal make it perfect for my workflow, especially when connecting to my Mac Studio.
iTerm2
A highly customizable terminal emulator for macOS. The split panes, search features, and extensive keyboard shortcuts make it an essential part of my development workflow.
Docker Desktop
Essential for maintaining consistent development environments across projects.
Productivity
Chrome
My primary browser with a carefully curated set of extensions. The developer tools and cross-device sync make it essential for web development.
Raycast
A supercharged replacement for Spotlight. The extensions and workflows save me countless hours every week, especially with its developer-focused features and scripting capabilities.
Xnapper
Beautiful screenshot tool with automatic background detection and social media templates. Perfect for creating professional looking screenshots for documentation and tutorials.
Screen Studio
Professional screen recording software with automatic mouse highlighting, keystrokes, and smooth animations. Makes creating high-quality tutorial videos a breeze.
Creating Freedom
Join me on the journey from engineer to solopreneur. Learn how to build profitable SaaS products while keeping your technical edge.
Proven strategies
Learn the counterintuitive ways to find and validate SaaS ideas
Technical insights
From choosing tech stacks to building your MVP efficiently
Founder mindset
Transform from engineer to entrepreneur with practical steps