An IDE is the most essential daily tool for software engineers. But what do you do when it doesn’t quite fit your workflow—complain, endure, or hack it yourself? This talk introduces the process of building IntelliJ Platform plugins using Kotlin, empowering you to customize your IDE to match your needs. We’ll cover practical techniques including setting up the development environment, initializing the project, understanding extension points, modifying menus and UI elements, and adding icons and animations. A live example will demonstrate how to create a custom progress bar component and redesign the theme style of your IDE. Even if you’re not familiar with the IDE’s source code, you’ll walk away knowing how to take full control and make your IDE truly your own. The smoother your tools, the smoother your code.