Photo by Junior Moran on Unsplash

I am no bird; and no net ensnares me: I am a free human being with an independent will. — Charlotte Bronte from Jane Eyre

With this free will, imagine choosing to be a bird who defines its own cage.

I believe this statement to be a matter of perspective… I will always be in some form of cage, small or large, apartment room or Milky Way galaxy. But, for a moment, imagine living life in such a way, waking up to a warm cup of coffee, and thinking… Where will the boundaries of my life extend to today?

For so many this question has an answer. The office. Honestly, the office is a really wonderful place when you work with good people in a healthy culture. I have never had a “remote” gig so the office is all I have really known. It was back in November 2019 that our small team of developers at Galley Solutions learned that we would be transitioning to remote Mob Programming and collaborating with a team in Argentina. We would still be open to coming into the office and would receive a small stipend to get the gear required to successfully collaborate on Zoom all day. I was relieved that the office was still an option because the condo my wife and I live in does not really have the space for a home office. I was also fearful of being at home all day. That idea of a cage sounded scary and claustrophobic.

This idea hit me about two days after we found out about the news... I had always enjoyed working out of coffee shops, cafes, and public places with a little bit of character, noise, and foot traffic… almost like how the ambient sound of the jungle helps put people to sleep faster, the ambient hustle and bustle of the coffee shop invites a bit more presence and focus in me. The idea was to create a mobile office that offered the benefits of a more established home office so that I could work, comfortably, from anywhere. This way I would be free to choose my own cage… everyday.

In building this set up I wanted enhanced ergonomics, more screen real estate, extreme portability, low cord count, and low cost. Check out what I came up with…

The full setup

The whole setup requires two cords, costs $305(without the backpack), fits in a 3 x 2.5ft rectangle, and sets up in a relaxed 2 minutes and 20 seconds (I timed it and forced myself not to rush). One cord powers the MacBook and one connects the external monitor.

Let's dig into each individual item and how they work together... Just a note and disclosure here that these are affiliate links to products on amazon that I am a huge fan of and will get a commission on if you purchase any of them through the links in this article.