As Thanksgiving approaches, we’re reflecting on the apps that have boosted our productivity and collaboration at Gate 39 over the past year. From project management to marketing and client services, leveraging these various resources has been key to our success. Here, our team shares their favorite productivity tools and how they’ve made a difference in our work.
Shane Stiles, President: Besides Spotify, AI is the tool that became a regular part of my daily work routine this year. It serves as an incredible first set of eyes, draft creator, data organizer, researcher and truly like my own assistant of which I’m so thankful for. As AI becomes a part of every existing tool set and continues to get smarter with each new iteration, it will soon become indispensable.
Cezar Camba, Chief Operations Officer: I’m most thankful for Microsoft Excel! I love analyzing data to see if there are improvements occurring based on changes we have made and to see if any aberrant issues need to be taken care of.
Allison Bischoff, Director of Marketing: I’m most thankful for the HubSpot calendar tool, especially the group feature. It makes it so easy for clients to conveniently book meetings. The group feature is especially useful for clients and sales opportunities when we need to coordinate multiple team members. It’s not a fancy tool but it’s one of my most used!
Eduardo Estevez Nunez, DevOps Specialist: Microsoft Copilot is a very useful tool for asking AI questions. It’s a secure service to use and well-integrated with Microsoft Office 365. Microsoft Azure DevOps is another excellent tool for Project Management. It includes features for Agile development, Wiki Pages for documentation, Test Plans, and excellent integration with Microsoft Azure. It’s hard to beat when you are talking about Project Management and Software development collaboration.
Wendy Rodgers, Marketing Manager: ChatGPT has been a game changer for me. It helps me professionally when creating content outlines, processes, research, and so many other things. I’m also thankful for how it has assisted me personally as a creative outlet, a meal planner, and a household prioritization system. It’s truly a tool where the only limit is my own imagination.
Walter Loburak, Senior Developer: Browser local overrides – In Chrome DevTools, the “local override” feature allows you to make temporary modifications to the files of a website without actually changing the original files on the server. It enables you to override specific resources (HTML, CSS, JavaScript, images, etc.) with modified versions that are loaded and used only within your local browser.
Deandra Henahan, Marketing Manager: While there are a lot of new tools out there, I’m thankful for LinkedIn. As a B2B we have direct access to our customers and potential clients. As Gate 39 and personally, we can show our thought leadership in marketing and technology in the financial and agriculture industry. I also enjoy that it has stayed a professional network to collaborate and share ideas.
Feiying Hu, Senior Developer: I’m thankful for Beyond Compare – it makes file comparison effortless, offering powerful features like folder synchronization and merge capabilities for even the most complex projects. Whether you’re comparing code, documents, or directories, Beyond Compare’s clear visual interface helps you identify differences at a glance.
Carolyn Beatty, Client Services Manager: I’m thankful for HubSpot’s ticketing system, Customer Portal, and Knowledge Base. The 3 tools combined allow our clients a comprehensive system for communicating and tracking requests, as well as finding resources for commonly asked questions so that they are empowered to learn how to manage certain tasks on their own. Any tool that allows for more streamlined communication is a win in my book!
John Martello, Senior Developer: I’m thankful for Visual Studio. For years it has been our go-to IDE for .NET development and debugging. There are many useful tools built-in, but one of the best parts is that the team behind Visual Studio regularly takes community feedback to improve the product. Even if they don’t officially implement a suggestion, you can build an extension to accomplish your goal.
Nick Landsberger, Lead Designer: I’m thankful for the Auto-Layout function within Figma. Not only does it keep spacing consistent for the UI components I design, but it also improves my ability to rapidly prototype responsive design elements and automatically resize for multiple device window sizes. The ability to now automatically reshuffle and scale elements to fit various arrangements, widths, and heights allows for greater flexibility in design, and more consistent results for developer prep.
But of course, a team’s productivity is only as strong as the team itself…
Megan Smith, Director of Client Services: I’m thankful for my team—their collaboration, expertise, and support make them the most invaluable part of my workday. While there are many tools that enhance our workflow, nothing compares to having a group of people who bring fresh insights, dedication, and a sense of humor to every project. They make even the toughest days manageable and the successes that much more rewarding.
As we wrap up this reflection on the resources that enhance our team’s efficiency, it’s clear that technology plays a crucial role in our daily operations. However, it’s the dedication and creativity of our team that truly drive our success. We’re grateful for both the productivity tools and the talented individuals who make Gate 39 special!
Happy Thanksgiving!
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