RQ

404roy — 27 Feb 2026

Presentation system

A calm, markdown-first way to share ideas.

Context

I wanted a calmer way to explain a workflow problem

I had a workflow problem to explain. Slides felt loud and busy. I wanted something quieter: async or live, structured not decorative, easy to reshape with AI, and still feel like mine.

Problem

Most slide tools optimise for polish, not control

They push you toward templates and visual noise. That can be great for speed, but it quietly shapes the story. I wanted to keep the control and lose the performance.

Observation 1

Markdown forces clarity

When formatting disappears, only logic remains.

Observation 2

AI works better with structured text

Claude can reason, restructure, and refine markdown far more effectively than slide layouts.

Observation 3

Version control reduces anxiety

GitHub history makes iteration safe.

Observation 4

Deployment creates confidence

Vercel allows instant publishing without design compromises.

Observation 5

Keyboard navigation improves flow

It feels intentional and controlled during live walkthroughs.

Observation 6

Templates subtly shape thinking

Tools like Gamma are powerful, but their structure influences the narrative.

This was not a design problem. It was a thinking problem.

Proposal

So I built a small markdown-first presentation system

Markdown for the content. Claude to help re-structure. Cursor to turn it into a site. GitHub for history. Vercel for shipping. Keyboard navigation so it feels calm and intentional live.

  • Fully custom
  • Fast to iterate
  • Structured
  • Reusable
  • Taste-aligned

Not a slide deck. A presentation system.

Risks

What could go wrong

Overbuilding when a simple deck would do

This setup is not always needed. It makes sense when structure matters more than decoration, and when you care how the story feels to tell.

Optimising for control over raw speed

Owning the system can slow the first version down a bit. It pays off when you expect to revisit and refine the same story over time.

Spending time on the container instead of the message

It's easy to get lost in the system itself. The tool should stay quiet and let the thinking stay in front.

Reaching for it when it's not needed

Not every conversation needs this level of care. Part of the skill is knowing when to keep it simple.

Next Steps

What to do first

  1. 1.Turn into a reusable template — So others can fork and fill in their own content without touching the system.
  2. 2.Extract into a lightweight framework — Abstract the presentation layer further so structure and content are fully separate.
  3. 3.Offer as a tool for calm, text-first presentations — Anyone who prefers writing to performing can reuse the pattern for their own stories.
  4. 4.Keep as an internal system for meaningful conversations — The real value is having it ready when something matters, not in turning it into a product.

The real outcome wasn't the website. It was feeling clear.

For now, this is mostly a proof of concept for me. The system exists. It works. Whether it becomes something more depends on how often this kind of problem shows up again.