As a long time developer I believe I have a good understanding of software on the Mac. I currently make and sell macOS apps, such as Find Any File and iClip. Previously I worked on Toast and EyeTV.
Before that, I made it possible to run Atari ST programs on a Mac natively (I practically developed one of the first Virtual Machines, long before that term became well-known).
And before that, I made the Commodore C-64 more popular by making a disk copying program that reduced duplicating a disk from 30 to 4.5 minutes.
My focus, related to choosing apps, is on reliability and predictability rather than trying to re-invent the wheel with new user-interface paradigms (i.e. I strongly dislike Apple's recent iOS focused changes to the macOS UI). As a programmer, I also value attention to detail and giving users more value by offering more than one option to accomplish their goals (something that Apple used to do well, too).
Thomas’s Recommendations
For example, it adds commands that let you create symbolic links, change file and folder permissions, or compress files into other formats such as 7z and tar.
One particularly handy feature is the “Size Browser,” which lets me check file sizes in subfolders—similar to the excellent app DaisyDisk, but with this tool, it’s integrated directly into the Finder.
I found that playing white noise close to my ears helps with that. I looked for a few apps for this purpose and found this one work best for my needs, as it lets me adjust the sound to my liking.
