Apps & Services

The apps, tools, and services Derek Johnson uses every day — curated for founders, travelers, and people who care about how they work and live.

Tools & Software

• Replit

  My go-to for building apps. It's where I spin up most of my projects these days, including this website. Zero coding ability needed to ship something real.

• Claude (Anthropic)

  I used to use ChatGPT, but now I use Claude. I'm a big fan of their app and the products they make. Adding Cowork and Claude Code to my workflow is what made me switch from ChatGPT to Claude.

• Wispr Flow

  Wispr Flow is pretty impressive. I now speak a good portion of my emails, messages, and even my prompts to Claude and Replit when I'm building things.

• Calendly

  I use Calendly to schedule everything, including consulting calls. It integrates with Zoom and Stripe so people can book and pay in one flow. Nothing worse than going back and forth with somebody trying to find a time to meet.

• Beehiiv

  The newsletter platform I use to write and send. Clean editor, modern subscriber tools, and pricing that doesn't punish growth.

• 1Password

  We used to use LastPass but it felt too enterprise, so we switched to 1Password. Where every password, license key, and credit card in our household lives. The single tool I'd be most lost without.

• GoDaddy

  Where every domain I own is registered. Not flashy, but reliable for the one job I need it to do.

• Luma

  My favorite tool for hosting events. Whether a casual lunch or a full gathering, Luma makes invites, RSVPs, and event pages effortless.

Money, Banking & Investing

• Mercury

  I love Mercury. We were with a traditional bank like KeyBank and then moved our business banking to Mercury. I would never go back. Essentially what I'd have designed if I were building a bank in 2026.

• Wealthfront

  We use Wealthfront for low-cost index fund investing and a few single stocks we own, like Tesla. The UI is great, super simple, easy.

• Monarch

  What we use to track our personal finances across accounts. Clean, well-designed, and actually makes you want to look at your money.

• Wise

  We travel a lot and need to move money between countries. Wise is the easiest way we've found to move money between countries and currencies. Real exchange rates, low fees, no nonsense.

• Chase Sapphire Reserve

  I try to be debt-free, thanks to Dave Ramsey. But we've found that having a credit card while traveling is critical, so we use the Chase Sapphire Reserve. Travel benefits, lounge access, and 3x points on travel and dining pay for the annual fee many times over.

• Fidelity

  We use Fidelity specifically for our HSA plan. The rest are low-cost index funds as well.

• Stripe

  I use this for every business and I recommend it for every business, especially online ones. I also use it personally so people can pay for consulting calls with me. When I'm building out software apps, I integrate Stripe using Replit.

• Revolut

  Our payment app in foreign countries for transferring money between people or paying vendors. A solid second-line debit and FX option that pairs well with Wise.

Health & Longevity

• BodySpec

  Mobile DEXA scans for about $40. Precise measurements of body fat, lean muscle, visceral fat, and bone density. The real value is measuring over time, so definitely set a cadence.

• Function Health

  We use Function Health for comprehensive lab testing twice a year. Over 100 biomarkers covering hormones, heart, metabolic, and more. Lets you actually measure what's happening inside instead of guessing.

• Lose It

  I use Lose It. A simple, no-nonsense food tracking app. I used it to drop 30 pounds and it's still the easiest calorie tracker I've tried.

• MedJet

  We've been MedJet subscribers for years. We haven't had to use it, but it's good to know it's there. If you're hospitalized 150+ miles from home, they fly you back to a hospital of your choice. Easy call if you travel a lot.

Travel & Memberships

• Viking Cruises

  We did Antarctica on Viking and were really impressed. The West Indies Explorer and Viking Sky World Discoveries itineraries are on the calendar for 2027.

• STA Jets

  Our go-to if we need a private charter. 24/7 ops, no blackout dates.

• Starlink

  In-flight Wi-Fi that actually works. If a route has a Starlink-equipped airline (United is rolling it out, JSX, Hawaiian, Qantas), I'll pay more or reroute to be on one. The difference between "I worked the whole flight" and "I lost 12 hours" is enormous.

• TSA PreCheck

  Non-negotiable. We upgraded to CLEAR but have recently found that just TSA PreCheck is just as good. We have a calendar reminder set five years out for renewal.

• CLEAR

  Our backup to TSA PreCheck if the line is too crazy. I love the concept, but right now it's a little hard. It just seems like it's about the same as TSA PreCheck on its own.

• Global Entry

  100% recommend if you're going to be traveling internationally. It has saved us hours. Worth every cent and includes PreCheck.

• Uber

  Default rideshare in the US and most of Asia. Eats is also our backup dinner plan when traveling.

• Uber Eats

  Our backup dinner plan when traveling. Works in most cities worldwide, no language barrier.

• Bolt

  The Uber equivalent we actually prefer in Europe (especially Portugal and the Baltics). Often cheaper, often faster, and the driver pool tends to be better.

Communities

• Post-Exit Founders (PEF)

  Private community for founders after the exit. The conversations are different when nobody is selling you anything or trying to raise from you.

• Entrepreneurship Organization (EO)

  EO Colorado is my local chapter of the Entrepreneurs' Organization, a global community for founders. I'm not currently a member, but I was when I was running a business.