kelvin chen ~/nyc

no sponsorships · no affiliate links · just what works

My actual stack.

The supplements I take every morning, the tools I use for hours a day, and the gear that quietly runs in the background. Updated when things change.

5 supplements 4 tools 4 gear 3 home 0 sponsors

supplements

What I take daily.

OTC stack built with a dietitian. Every item has a specific job; nothing is here for vibes. For standalone supplements I default to Momentous — NSF Certified for Sport, third-party tested.

Heads up: I'm not a doctor and this isn't advice. My stack was designed with labs in hand and professional guidance. What works for me may not be right for you.

🧬 foundation

Thorne Essential Multi

The base everything else builds on. Methylated B12 and folate (actually absorbed), D3 + K1/K2 (MK-7), zinc/copper at the right ratio, and a comprehensive mineral set — all third-party tested.

4 caps morning with fat
🫀 cardio · anti-inflammatory

Omega-3 Fish Oil

High-dose EPA+DHA at 1,600 mg combined. Cardiovascular support and long-term anti-inflammatory maintenance. Sourced for purity — check for third-party testing on whatever brand you use.

1,600 mg EPA+DHA morning with fat
mitochondrial energy

CoQ10 Ubiquinol

The reduced (ubiquinol) form absorbs meaningfully better than plain CoQ10. Mitochondrial support and antioxidant — pairs well with the fish oil for cardiovascular upkeep.

100 mg morning with fat momentous
💪 performance · cognition

Creatine Monohydrate

Most researched supplement in sports science. Strength, endurance, and — often underrated — cognitive benefits. Monohydrate is the form with the evidence behind it. Timing doesn't much matter; just take it daily.

5 g any time with food momentous
🌙 sleep · cognition

Magnesium L-Threonate

The L-threonate form specifically crosses the blood-brain barrier — regular magnesium glycinate doesn't. Sleep onset, sleep quality, and cognitive support. Taken at bedtime; noticeably different from cheap magnesium oxide.

3 caps (~145 mg) bedtime empty stomach momentous

software

Tools I open every day.

Not a comprehensive list of everything installed — just what I actually reach for.

AI assistant

Claude

Powers my entire personal OS. Morning briefs, daily dashboards, scheduled agents that write and update files automatically. I use the Cowork desktop mode for hours a day — it's the closest thing I've found to a genuine thinking partner that also executes.

daily driver anthropic.com

claude.ai ↗

💎 knowledge base

Obsidian

Three years of notes in plain Markdown, stored locally on my machine. Health records, project docs, financial context, people layers — everything lives here. No cloud lock-in, no subscription required for the core product.

second brain local-first

obsidian.md ↗

📝 AI meeting notes

Granola

Joins meetings and generates structured notes automatically — work standups, doctor appointments, vet visits. The transcripts feed directly into my context management system. Replaced manual note-taking almost entirely.

every meeting mac + ios

granola.so ↗

📐 docs + collaboration

Notion

Where team docs, product specs, and anything that needs sharing lives. My personal knowledge stays in Obsidian; anything cross-functional goes to Notion. The two-tool split has held up for years.

team docs web + mac

notion.so ↗

hardware

Gear that earns its place.

Physical things I'd buy again without hesitation.

📱 primary device

iPhone

More computing happens here than on my laptop on most days. Tightly integrated with Apple Health — every data source feeds in automatically. The ecosystem lock-in is real, and for me the tradeoff is worth it.

daily carry apple health hub
health tracking

Apple Watch

Passive health data backbone — steps, resting heart rate, workout detection, sleep when I wear it. All flows into Apple Health and then into my daily dashboards. The always-on heart rate data alone is worth it.

daily wear syncs to health
🔬 passive tracking

Withings Sleep & Scale

Sleep tracking mat that goes under the mattress — no wristband needed. Body composition scale for weight + muscle/fat split. Both sync to Apple Health automatically. The best passive health data I've ever added; completely zero-friction.

sleep + weight syncs to health no wristband
🚗 vehicle

Tesla Model S

The car I've wanted for years and finally got. Dog Mode keeps Yumi comfortable while I run errands — and displays "My owner will be back soon" on screen so no one panics. Sentry Mode is genuinely great peace of mind. Software updates feel like getting a new car every few months.

model s dog mode ✓ sentry mode

smart home

Automation that earns its keep.

Three companies. Zero regrets. The bar is: does it actually run itself, or am I still babysitting it?

🪟 switchbot

Curtain Robot

Clips onto any curtain rod and automates open/close on a schedule. Wakes up with the sunrise without me touching anything — genuinely one of the most satisfying smart home purchases. Retrofit, no rewiring, no new curtains required.

switchbot retrofit schedule + sunrise

switchbot.com ↗

💨 switchbot

Air Purifier

Runs on auto mode and adjusts fan speed based on actual air quality readings. Especially useful with a dog in the apartment. Integrates with the same SwitchBot hub as the curtains — one app for both.

switchbot auto mode same app

switchbot.com ↗

💡 govee

Govee Lighting

Ambient lighting that actually transforms a room. RGBIC strips behind the TV and shelf lighting synced to scenes and schedules. Much better price-to-vibe ratio than the competition. The app has more options than I'll ever use — in the best way.

govee ambient scenes + sync

govee.com ↗