I Am a Security Developer and Researcher Felix Krause and This Is How I Work
If you love or hate Apple, you should listen to Felix Krause. We’ve covered his Lifehacker security research several times as he discovered vulnerabilities in macOS and iOS: how any Mac app can take a secret screenshot of your computer’s screen, or how iOS apps can steal your password using a fake login screen . And this research is not even his main job. We interviewed him about his many projects, including Fastlane, an email messaging app called Master Key, his security research, and how he ended up working at Twitter and Google.
Location: Digital nomad, most of the time I spend in New York. Current work: Building a mobile CI system based on Fastlane. Current mobile device: iPhone X. Current computer: 2 x MacBook 15 inches, 2017 (personal + work machine) One word that best describes how you work: pragmatic
First of all, tell us a little about your past and how you got where you are now.
Ever since I visited the Google Mountain View campus in 2010, it has been my life goal to work for Google in California . Every decision regarding education, technology that I have learned, and time spent, I have agreed to achieve this goal. After various internships and side projects in high school, I started building automation tools for iOS developers in college and they took off all of a sudden. Large companies started using my fastlane tool to automate their release process. A few months later, several companies invited me to join them and continue working on Fastlane, and I decided to join Twitter . Just 1.5 years after that , Google acquired Fabric (Twitter’s developer tools department), which is where I am now.
I live like a digital nomad, I wrote about reasoning here and recently wrote about a year old nomad living here . Now I move to a new area of New York every month.
Tell us about a recent work day.
Now I live in New York, which means I don’t have to take a long minibus every day, as is the case with many technology companies based in the Bay Area. When I get up, I check my notifications for about an hour before heading to the office, walking for about 30 minutes and listening to audiobooks.
In the office, I used to do most of my coding and highly skilled work before lunchtime. Since most of my team is based on the West Coast, most meetings take place in the afternoon. I’m not a fan of meetings as most of them are inefficient and can be done via asynchronous communication. In large companies, meetings are deeply ingrained in their culture and cannot be bypassed.
What apps, gadgets or tools can’t you live without?
I don’t use many devices. I don’t use any smart home devices, no smart watches, just my phone + MacBook. This is a combination of the fact that most devices are not very useful, but also do not trust certain vendors.
On the app side, I often use Major Key , an open source app I wrote (not on the App Store) to quickly jot down thoughts as they arise. This is extremely useful when you are having a conversation and just have a really good idea or need to write something down for further development.
I use Arc to track your location 24/7 (previously used Moves application that was closed Facebook), MyFitnessPal to track my reception macro, Swarm to track the places I visited, Bear Notes ( as iCloud Notes lost my data – I wrote migrator ), Fantastical as Calendar on all platforms and, of course, Tweetbot (forwhich, as I wrote, I have a very personal setting ).
How is your workplace arranged?
Since I work from different locations, I always have my Roost Stand with me with the magic Apple keyboard, magic trackpad and magic mouse. This allows me to have a decently ergonomic work environment in most places. At the Google office, I have a 32-inch monitor and my MacBook is in clamshell mode.
What’s your best shortcut or life hack?
The number one tip I give every professional who uses a computer is to set up their own shortcuts to open any application they regularly use; I wrote about it here . I also just found Vimium , which allows you to navigate most websites using only keyboard shortcuts. Also the Major Key app mentioned earlier definitely made my life easier.
I also separate creation from consumption quite clearly : when I’m on my Mac I’m in work mode, when I’m on my phone I’m reading. This is why apps like Major Key and Mail To Self (discontinued, I’ll write my own clone soon) are so useful: they let you send something to your Mac when you’re in work mode.
How do you keep track of what you need to do?
I use Trello and Inbox Zero a lot. Trello is a pleasure to use, especially when you learn all of their shortcuts. My Trello queue is mostly endless, there is always something to do and I have so many ideas for what I want to do. Although I know I will never be able to do most of them. I still want to keep track of them so that I can attach notes and links as I explore them further.
How to recharge or relax?
I go to the gym almost every single day. It not only makes me feel more confident, but it is also very important to clear my mind. I put on headphones, lift weights and forget about what is happening around me. It took me a while to reach this state of flow in the gym.
I also love to walk. It’s really nice to wander around Manhattan at night, cross bridges with friends, and just enjoy the beautiful New York skyline.
What’s your favorite side project?
I’ve been working on various telegram bots lately, from tracking my mood 3 times a day to getting a message in the morning when it’s raining . I also co-founded Hazards with @orta , a rule definition tool for pull requests.
I also publish privacy studies in my spare time. This has nothing to do with my main job, it’s just personal interest. These posts drew an unexpected amount of attention and made my Twitter activity unusable for several weeks.
What are you reading now or what do you recommend?
I just finished the audiobook Homo Deus , a great book about society and how it will change as technology advances.
What problem are you still trying to solve?
I still believe that there is still a lot to be done when it comes to realizing your personal happiness. I love WaitButWhy articles, in particular about your life in weeks and career choices . I posted a spreadsheet to create my own life in a few weeks, and did the same for tentacles in a career post. I would like to continue working on the mood tracking bot and facilitate a deeper understanding of why you are feeling a certain way and identify trends.