Show HN: Building a Markdown editor for Mac, iOS and web

📝 Discussion Summary (Click to expand)

Three prevalent themes in the discussion

Praise for design and usability
Users repeatedly compliment the editor’s look, feel, and writing experience.

“I love the design and how it interacts. That is cool.” – KlyX
Interest in local file handling & concerns about cloud sync/privacy
Many commenters want plain‑markdown folders they can open elsewhere, and they worry future updates might silently upload notes.

“An automatic update of the app might start uploading the notes to a server.” – smokel
“Can I point this at my Obsidian folder and call it a day?” – mrwetsnow
Critique of the landing page / project narrative (AI‑generated vibe, missing story/revenue model)
The site is seen as generic, AI‑written, and lacking a clear purpose or business model.

“The landing page feels very generic… you might want to spice it up a little.” – arendtio
“Funnily enough, this is the only sentence written by myself. Other parts of the post were written with the help of AI.” – thiagoperes

🚀 Project Ideas

A desktop markdown editor that lets users point to any local folder (e.g., Dropbox, Obsidian vault) and works with real file names and folder hierarchy, solving the import/export friction noted by users.
Core value: simple, fast, local-first note‑taking with familiar outline sidebar, color‑customizable callouts, and brew‑installable distribution for corporate lock‑down environments.

Key	Value
Target Audience	Power users, developers, and knowledge workers who need a portable markdown workflow across devices and platforms
Core Feature	Open‑folder mode that displays actual markdown files, live outline sidebar, callout blocks with picker for background/text color, and optional Dropbox/WebDAV sync
Tech Stack	Electron (or Tauri) + React + CodeMirror 6, IndexedDB for local cache, Dropbox SDK, Homebrew formula
Difficulty	Medium
Monetization	Revenue-ready: $19 one‑time purchase + optional $5/year sync add‑on

HN users complained about “no way to point this at my Obsidian folder” (mrwetsnow) and wanted “callout and the option to set a color for that callout” (KlyX); this editor directly addresses both.
Provides a brew‑installable alternative for corporate laptops (jamesboehmer) and a transparent local‑only mode that eases sync‑trust concerns (smokel, hyperhello).

A lightweight SDK/middleware that wraps file‑access in markdown apps, guaranteeing that no data leaves the device unless the user explicitly opts in, with clear permission dialogs and audit logs.
Core value: gives users confidence that updates cannot silently upload notes, addressing the security anxiety raised by smokel and hyperhello.

Key	Value
Target Audience	Developers of markdown/editors/note‑taking apps who want to offer a trustworthy local‑first guarantee
Core Feature	Runtime file‑system interceptor that blocks outgoing network calls for file data, shows opt‑in sync prompts, and logs all access attempts
Tech Stack	Rust (for cross‑platform daemon) + Node.js/JavaScript bindings, optional WASM wrapper for web apps
Difficulty	High
Monetization	Hobby (open‑source core) with optional paid support/consulting tier

Commenters feared “automatic update of the app might start uploading the notes to a server” (smokel); this tool provides a technical guarantee that would be praised on HN.
Could be integrated into existing editors as a plug‑in, sparking discussion about privacy‑by‑design in productivity software (potential for Show HN or blog post).

A collection of plugins for popular markdown editors (Obsidian, Typora, VS Code, Vim/Neovim) that adds rich callout blocks with configurable colors and generates a dynamic outline sidebar based on heading levels.
Core value: supplies the missing features that users repeatedly request—callouts and outline navigation—without forcing them to switch editors.

Key	Value
Target Audience	Existing markdown editor users who want enhanced formatting and navigation
Core Feature	Plugin that renders callout syntax (e.g., `> [!note]` with background color) and builds a heading‑based outline pane in the editor’s sidebar
Tech Stack	Language‑agnostic plugin APIs: Obsidian Plugin System (TS/JS), Typora plugin (Node), VS Code extension (TS), Neovim Lua plugin
Difficulty	Low
Monetization	Hobby (free, MIT‑licensed) with optional donation via GitHub Sponsors

Users asked for “callout and the option to set a color for that callout” (KlyX) and “outline based on heading levels in the sidebar” (garyrob); this suite satisfies both.
By targeting multiple editors, it leverages the existing user base, encouraging cross‑tool adoption and generating buzz in the HN community (Show HN potential).