What's in my bag? — Dan Shapiro
About the bag
When we were founding Glowforge, I bet my cofounder that I could print a custom satchel. He was skeptical. Together we mocked it out of sticky notes and Scotch tape. I included a magnetic clasp, custom pockets, a stitched in Bluetooth tracker, and a secret document pouch. It feels soft yet tough, it feels more my own than anything else I own, and it turned five years old a few months ago. Strangers still ask me where I bought it.
No, you can't see what's in the secret pouch. Then it wouldn't be a secret.
What's inside the bag
Microsoft Surface Pro
I don't remember which model, and I don't care. I finally decided that I was going to carry the lightest damn thing that would run Adobe Creative Cloud. I bought the v1, and when it broke four years later, I bought another one. It's great, it's fast, the keyboard is surprisingly unterrible, and it weighs less than the bag.
It's tiny. It's light. It works. I'm pretty sure I found it by running down a Frauenfelder rabbit hole starting here, and then looking for something lighter. Paper I'll grab fistfuls of and scribble on as needed, but a good pencil - you can't find that anywhere.
A very cheap d20 from the bottom of a game store dice bin
This poorly-printed chunk of plastic means a lot to me. First, because it represents something I'm striving to do better: make room for voices in my industry that usually don't get heard. You can learn about why this means that in this blog post, "Fellow white dudes, let's roll a d20". Second, because when I'm trying to keep my mouth shut, I can fidget with it. And last but not least, because it means I'm always ready for an emergency game of 5e D&D with my wife and 11 year old twins.
Panasonic ErgoFit In-Ear Earbud Headphones ($9)
I have been tempted by Airpods. So sleek! So white! Then I remember. I lose about five of these a year. Fortunately, that sets you back nine bucks each. They sound good and they double as earplugs when sleeping. The mic is surprisingly passable. Just don't make the mistake I did and buy the cool purple ones if you have kids in the house — they steal them immediately. Also, some of the colors don't have microphones. Be sure the picture shows the microphone before you buy. And don't forget a USB-C adapter for the headphone jack if your phone's manufacturer hates you and all that is good in the world.
One last note: I'm not using my bag these days. Instead, I'm working from home to keep everyone safe. I hope you are too.