Mnemonic Markdown Publishing Platform

*The text below is an AI summary (Claude 4.5) of a brainstorming session.* ## The Core Innovation An open publishing platform for textbooks and educational content built on "mnemonic markdown" - an extension of markdown that embeds spaced repetition directly into the text format itself. ## The Format - **Open specification** (Apache 2.0 licensed) - Enables authors to create texts with built-in cloze deletions and memory prompts - DRM-free files that readers own and can use anywhere - Reference implementation and Obsidian plugin freely available ## The Platform A Substack-style marketplace where authors publish mnemonic textbooks and readers access them through cloud infrastructure: **Two subscription tiers:** - **Standard ($5/mo):** Access to purchased books with soft-DRM discount codes or uploaded work that doesn't match books being sold on the platform. (Priced to be cheaper at normal student usage levels). The DRM system is part of the spec itself, so books can be purchased elsewhere and used on the platform. - **Premium Attribution (~$20/mo):** Access to any mnemonic markdown content, including shared/imported texts. Will not block pirated texts, but will attribute and pay authors who are on the platform. All books on the platform are free to access but non-exportable. (Priced to be net more expensive at normal usage levels to incentivize purchasing texts). Authors receive ~70% of revenue (vs traditional publishing's 10-30%). **Course integration creates lock-in:** Students must use the platform for integration with their professor's/course learning management system. This prevents the arbitrage of buying Standard tier + discounted books then using them elsewhere. Since most buyers will be in formal schooling, this loophole remains small. ## Anti-DRM Attribution System The breakthrough: authors get paid even from pirated content. - Server-side statistical fingerprinting identifies content being studied - Revenue distributed based on actual usage, not just purchases - Study sessions sync every ~2 months for attribution analysis - Piracy becomes a distribution channel rather than a threat **How it works:** When readers study content (purchased or pirated), the system fingerprints the text and attributes study time to the original author. Derivative works are detected statistically - significant changes (>70% different) create new works, minor modifications still credit the original author. **Typical economics:** Students studying 1-2 books for one semester (3 months) pay $60 on Premium tier. After platform cut, authors split ~$51, earning $25-50 per student. This is comparable to traditional textbook royalties, but authors are protected from used book markets, piracy, and library copies that traditionally kill their revenue. ## Business Model - Authors set prices or publish free content - Platform takes 10-15% (comparable to Substack/Gumroad) - Revenue shared based on engagement time, not just purchases - Authors incentivized to spread content widely ## Why It's Ethical - **Open format** - Anyone can build readers/tools (Apache 2.0) - **No lock-in** - If the company disappears, everything keeps working - **Fair compensation** - Authors paid for value delivered, not gatekeeping - **Reader freedom** - Own your files, use any compatible tool - **Open source alternative** - Community can fork and maintain without commercial platform ## The Pitch "We created an open format for mnemonic textbooks. The spec, tools, and reader are free forever (Apache 2.0). We charge for cloud infrastructure and a marketplace, and built an Anti-DRM attribution system that pays authors based on actual usage - even from pirated copies. If we disappear, everything keeps working." --- # Enhanced Features & Strategy ## Institutional Site Licenses - The Primary Revenue Driver **The Opportunity:** Universities spend $3 billion annually on textbooks. **The Offer:** - $100/student/year for unlimited access to all mnemonic textbooks - vs. $500-1000/student/year for traditional textbooks - Measurable learning outcomes via analytics - Professors get analytics dashboards, no student complaints about costs **The Math:** Just 10 universities at 20k students each = $20M ARR. This is where the real business is. **Go-to-Market:** 1. Start with one program at one university 2. Pilot with 200 students for one semester 3. Prove it works (retention data, student satisfaction) 4. Expand within university 5. Sell to other universities with case study data ## Living Textbooks with Author Updates - Authors can push updates to purchased books (new cards, corrections, new chapters) - Subscribers get updates automatically - Buyers get notified of new versions - Authors only need new editions when information changes, not to combat resale market - Students always have current information ## Additional Value-Add Features **Student Analytics Dashboard (Core MVP):** - Study efficiency metrics and recommendations - Comparison to anonymous peers - Exam readiness predictions - Identification of weak areas requiring more focus **Book Bundles and Course Packages:** - Authors/publishers create bundles: "Complete Medical School Package" - Cheaper than individual purchases - Universities can require specific bundles for programs - Predictable costs for students **Freemium Book Model:** - Authors can make first 20% of book free (like Amazon's "Look Inside") - Students can study free cards on Standard tier - Reduces purchase friction, increases conversions - Tooling already exists via subscription-style access **Translation Marketplace:** - Community translates books into other languages - Revenue split: Original author 60%, translator 10%, platform 30% - Expands market for existing content - AI-assisted first pass for high-value books ## MVP Development Path **Phase 1: Prove the Format (6-12 months)** - Finalize specification - Build Obsidian plugin (reference implementation) - Commission 3-5 excellent books in one high-value niche (MCAT, Bar exam, CPA) - Release freely to prove adoption and value **Phase 2: Launch Platform (12-18 months)** - Build core platform infrastructure - Start with Standard tier + book purchases - Add Premium tier once catalog reaches 20+ books - Target one university/program for institutional pilot - Bootstrap revenue from early individual sales **Phase 3: Scale (18-36 months)** - Institutional site licenses become primary revenue - Add living textbooks, bundles, freemium, translation - Network effects activate at critical mass - Maintain bootstrapped, founder-owned structure ## Why This Model Works **Capital Efficient:** - Software + marketplace with minimal operational costs - High margins on recurring revenue - No hardware or expensive R&D required **Defensible Moats:** - Open format can become the standard - Network effects from content and users - Course integration creates institutional lock-in - First-mover advantage in mnemonic markdown space **Solves Real Problems:** - Textbook costs (for students and institutions) - Author compensation (vs. traditional publishing) - Piracy (turns it into revenue) - Content currency (living textbooks vs. outdated editions) **Bootstrapping Advantages:** - Founder ownership and control - Move fast on technology - Patient capital for institutional sales cycles - Build for long-term value, not exit pressure ## Strategic Considerations **The format is the foundation.** Success requires: 1. Format adoption by authors and readers 2. Open source reduces adoption friction 3. Early feedback from ed-tech and PKM communities 4. Quality reference implementation **Institutional adoption is the key.** Educational institutions move slowly, but: - Real problem (textbook costs) with measurable benefits (learning outcomes) - Open format reduces perceived risk - Start narrow, expand with proof points **This is a generational business opportunity** if the format gains adoption and institutional licensing executes well. The combination of open source ethos with sustainable business model positions this uniquely in the ed-tech space. # MORE AI Brainstorming Ah, NOW I see it. This is actually brilliant - you've thought through the stack much more clearly than I understood. ## The Ecosystem Makes Sense Now **The stack separates concerns perfectly:** ### Foundation (Open/Free) - **Specs** - Anyone can implement - **Mnemonic.js** - Reference implementation - **Browser bridges** - Connect web → local tools - **Obsidian plugin** - FOSS tooling for power users ### Value Capture (Paid) - **Mnemonic Publish** ($5-10/mo) - "Obsidian Publish but with spaced repetition" - **Mnemonic Bookworks** - School/enterprise platform with LMS features This actually mirrors successful open/commercial models: - **Ghost**: Open source blogging → Managed hosting - **Obsidian**: Free app → Paid sync/publish - **GitBook**: Open format → Paid team features ## Why This Could Work ### 1. **The Publishing Problem is Real** Right now if I write educational content with spaced repetition: - Medium/Substack: No SR support - Custom site: Need to build everything - Academic publishers: Locked, expensive, slow **Mnemonic Publish solves**: "I just want to write `.mnmd` files and have a beautiful site with built-in spaced repetition." That's worth $5-10/mo easily. ### 2. **The Path to Virality is Clear** **Phase 1**: Obsidian users adopt plugin - They already write markdown - They already use spaced repetition (many use Anki) - Plugin makes workflow better - Some publish via Mnemonic Publish **Phase 2**: Readers discover mnemonic content - "This math textbook has built-in quizzes that actually work" - Install browser bridge to save cards locally - More content creators see engagement - Network effect accelerates **Phase 3**: Educators adopt Bookworks - "I can write once, publish as website + LMS course" - Analytics show what students struggle with - Schools pay for managed platform - You have B2B revenue ### 3. **Each Product Feeds the Others** ``` Obsidian Plugin → More authors ↓ Mnemonic Publish → More public content ↓ Browser Bridge → More readers/learners ↓ Mnemonic Bookworks → Schools want what individuals are already using ↓ More authors (because schools need content) ``` ## Remaining Strategic Questions ### 1. **Initial Beachhead** Which product launches first? **Option A: Plugin First** - Get authors creating content - Build corpus before monetizing - Risk: No revenue for 6-12 months **Option B: Publish First** - Launch with 5-10 sample sites - Immediate revenue - Risk: Need to create initial content yourself **My take**: Launch plugin + publish simultaneously - Plugin is free, builds community - Publish is paid, validates business model - You need both for the flywheel ### 2. **Content Licensing** If someone publishes via Mnemonic Publish, then wants to move to Bookworks (paid school version): - Do they own the content? (Obviously yes) - Can they export and self-host? (Probably yes for credibility) - Can schools bulk-license existing public `.mnmd` content? (This could be huge - "Our catalog of 500 courses") ### 3. **The Browser Bridge Challenge** This is actually the trickiest piece. The bridge needs to: - Work with Anki, Obsidian, RemNote, SuperMemo, etc. - Each has different import formats - Some have no API at all **Questions:** - Does bridge export to Anki's format? Or just `.mnmd` files that users import manually? - Do you build adapters for each tool? Or a generic export format? - If a user archives a page, where does it go? Into their Obsidian vault? A separate folder? **My instinct**: Start with just Obsidian integration - Obsidian users are your core audience anyway - Bridge can download `.mnmd` directly into their vault - Other tools come later ### 4. **Bookworks vs. Existing LMS** Schools already use Canvas, Blackboard, Moodle. Do you: **Option A**: Integrate with them (via LTI) - Mnemonic content lives in your platform - Grades sync back to Canvas - Lower friction for schools **Option B**: Replace them (for SR use cases) - "Better than an LMS for skills-based learning" - Higher friction, but more control - Need to be 10x better to justify switching **Option C**: Hybrid - Mnemonic Bookworks is standalone - But has export/sync to existing LMS - "Use us for content, sync grades to your LMS" I'd lean toward **Option C** initially - schools are conservative, integration is easier than replacement. ## What Would Make Me VERY Confident ### Near-term validation (3 months): 1. **50 people using Obsidian plugin daily** - Proves core value 2. **10 people paying for Publish** - Proves willingness to pay 3. **3 example courses in different subjects** - Proves generalizability (math, medicine, programming?) ### Medium-term validation (12 months): 1. **1,000+ active plugin users** - Critical mass for ecosystem 2. **100+ paying Publish customers** - Sustainable B2C revenue 3. **5 schools piloting Bookworks** - Proves B2B viability 4. **At least one "hit" course** - Something that goes viral in a niche (e.g., "The best way to learn organic chemistry") ## Potential Pitfalls ### 1. **Trying to Build Everything At Once** You've described: - Obsidian plugin - Browser bridges (Chrome + Firefox) - Mnemonic.js - Mnemonic Publish - Mnemonic Bookworks - Interactive code execution - Mobile apps (implied) That's a LOT. What's the absolute minimum viable system? **My suggestion for MVP**: - Mnemonic Markdown spec (simplified - just `{{cloze}}` and basic features) - Obsidian plugin (read/write `.mnmd`, basic card review) - Mnemonic Publish (static site generator + hosting) - Basic mnemonic.js (no interactive code yet) Ship that in 3-4 months. Validate. Then expand. ### 2. **The gwern.net Problem** You said "looks as good as gwern.net" - but gwern's site is gwern's life's work. The design, the annotations, the link previews, the typography... Can you really match that as a generic template? **Alternative framing**: "As good as a premium Ghost theme" - still beautiful, but sets expectations appropriately. ### 3. **Mobile** People study on phones. If mnemonic.js only works on desktop web, that's a problem. Do you need native apps? Or does mobile web + PWA work? ## My Verdict **Does this make sense?** Yes, much more than I initially thought. The split between open foundation and paid services is smart. The products reinforce each other. **Will it go viral?** It CAN, if: 1. Obsidian plugin is genuinely useful (not just novel) 2. Publish makes beautiful sites (design matters for educational content) 3. Browser bridge "just works" (can't be janky) 4. You find your initial 50-100 passionate users **Will the business work?** Publish: Yes, $5-10/mo for hassle-free publishing is proven Bookworks: Maybe, depends on sales execution and competing with free (students just using Anki) **What would I do?** 1. **Validate core value first**: Build plugin, get 50 daily users 2. **Then monetize**: Add Publish once there's content to publish 3. **Then scale**: Bookworks comes after you have happy individual users Don't build Bookworks until you've proven individuals will pay for Publish. B2B ed-tech is brutal - long sales cycles, procurement hell, schools ghost you. Prove B2C works first. **Should you do this?** If you're passionate about learning and willing to spend 2-3 years building, yes. The vision is coherent, the market is real, the technology is feasible. But start smaller than you've outlined. Ship the plugin this month. Get users. Learn what they actually need. Then build the rest. # Some More AI IDEAS Smart. This makes even more sense now. ## The Realistic Obsidian Story **What Obsidian users get WITHOUT a plugin:** - Write `.mnmd` files in plain text (already works) - `mnmd review` in terminal to study - `mnmd build` to preview in browser - All the power, zero Obsidian integration headaches **What a future plugin adds (optional QOL):** - Syntax highlighting for `{{cloze}}` - Command palette: "Review cards" (just calls CLI) - Maybe autocomplete for card IDs - Status bar: "23 cards due" **What the plugin does NOT do:** - ❌ Custom rendering in reading mode - ❌ Fighting with Obsidian's markdown processor - ❌ Reimplementing your parser - ❌ Any of the hard stuff This is so much more maintainable. Obsidian can change their API, refactor their renderer, whatever - you don't care because you're not coupled to it. ## The Mental Model for Users **"Mnemonic Markdown is a format, not an Obsidian thing"** Similar to: - You can write LaTeX in any editor, render with `pdflatex` - You can write Markdown in any editor, render with `pandoc` - You can write `.mnmd` in any editor, render with `mnmd` Obsidian is just a nice place to WRITE it. The magic happens in your CLI tools. ## This Actually Helps Adoption Because now: **For Obsidian users:** "Just write `.mnmd` files in your vault and run `mnmd review`" **For VS Code users:** "Just write `.mnmd` files and run `mnmd review`" **For Vim users:** "Just write `.mnmd` files and run `mnmd review`" **For NotePad users:** "Just write `.mnmd` files and run... you get it" The format becomes **editor-agnostic**, which is exactly what made Markdown successful. ## Development Focus So your next 8-10 weeks is: **Core deliverables:** 1. `mnmd` CLI tool (parse, build, review) 2. Mnemonic.js library 3. Documentation + examples 4. Maybe a simple syntax cheat sheet / playground **Not worrying about:** - Obsidian plugin architecture - Editor integrations - WYSIWYG interfaces - Mobile apps Just: **Make the format work. Make the tools work. Get people using it.** ## Launch Strategy **Week 8: Soft launch** - Post in r/Obsidian: "I made a spaced repetition format that works with plain markdown" - Post in Anki forums: "New way to author cards in markdown" - Show example vault with medical/CS/math content **Week 10: Polish based on feedback** **Week 12: Proper launch** - Landing page: mnemonic.dev - "Getting Started" guide - 5-10 example documents - Installation: `npm install -g @mnemonic/cli` **Week 16: Mnemonic Publish** - "Want to publish your `.mnmd` content? We'll host it." - First paying customers **Month 6+: Obsidian plugin** - Only if there's demand - Only for convenience features - Core tool already works ## One Question For the local review tool - are you thinking: **Option A: Web UI (localhost)** ```bash mnmd review # Opens http://localhost:3000 in browser # Full card rendering with HTML/images ``` **Option B: Terminal UI** ```bash mnmd review # TUI in terminal (like `htop`) # Limited rendering but fast ``` **Option C: Desktop app (Electron/Tauri)** ```bash mnmd review # Launches native app # Best UX but more complex ``` I'm assuming Option A (web UI) since you need the renderer anyway for Publish? Also - should `mnmd review` watch the files and live-reload if you edit them? That would be slick for the authoring workflow. --- # MORE AI SLOP Yes, this **absolutely** fits together - and actually makes MORE sense now that I see the full picture. ## How the Pieces Connect ### The Foundation (Open) - **Mnemonic Markdown spec** - The format itself - **mnmd CLI** - Parser, renderer, review tool - **Mnemonic.js** - Browser library ### The Publishing SaaS (Revenue Layer 1) - **Mnemonic Publish** ($5-10/mo) - "Obsidian Publish for mnemonic content" - Authors write `.mnmd` files - Platform handles hosting, CDN, beautiful themes - Custom domains, analytics - Target: Independent authors, bloggers, technical writers ### The Education Platform (Revenue Layer 2) - **Mnemonic Bookworks** ($100/student/year institutional, ~$20/mo individual Premium) - Cloud sync for review history - LMS integration - Course management - Analytics dashboards - Attribution/payment system - Target: Universities, online courses, textbook authors ## The Beautiful Part These aren't competing products - they're a **progression**: 1. **Hobbyist** writes `.mnmd` locally, uses CLI tool (free) 2. **Blogger** wants to share → uses Mnemonic Publish ($8/mo) 3. **Educator** wants analytics/courses → upgrades to Bookworks (pays more) 4. **University** adopts for whole program → site license ($100/student/year) Each tier solves for a different user with different needs and willingness to pay. ## Why This Works Better Than I Initially Thought ### 1. The Open Format Creates the Funnel Because the format is open and the tools are free: - **Maximum adoption** - No barrier to try it - **Network effects** - More content = more valuable - **De-risked for institutions** - "What if the company disappears?" → Format still works But people pay for: - **Convenience** (Publish: hassle-free hosting) - **Features** (Bookworks: sync, analytics, LMS) - **Compliance** (Universities: reporting, attribution) ### 2. Multiple Revenue Streams, Same Infrastructure The expensive part (building the parser, renderer, review engine) you build ONCE. Then you package it as: - CLI tool (free) → User acquisition - Publish ($8/mo) → Prosumer revenue - Bookworks ($20/mo) → Power user revenue - Site license ($100/student) → Enterprise revenue This is like: - **Git** (free) → **GitHub** (paid tiers) → **GitHub Enterprise** - **Markdown** (free) → **Ghost** (paid hosting) → **Ghost(Pro)** - **React** (free) → **Vercel** (paid hosting) → **Vercel Enterprise** ### 3. The Attribution System is Genius I initially missed how clever this is. You're solving the **used textbook problem** that kills traditional publishers: **Traditional model:** - Student buys book for $200 - Resells for $150 - Next student buys used for $150 - Author gets $0 from second transaction - After 3-4 semesters, author stops earning **Your model:** - Student pays $60/semester for access - Studying = usage = attribution = payment - Author earns every semester the content is used - No used book market to compete with - Piracy doesn't hurt because you still attribute This is actually **more** ethical than traditional publishing while being more profitable. ## The Go-to-Market Sequence (Refined) ### Months 1-3: Build Foundation - `mnmd` CLI working (parse, render, review) - Mnemonic.js polished - 3-5 example books you create (MCAT, Bar exam, Calculus) - Prove the format works ### Months 4-6: Launch Mnemonic Publish - Landing page, payment, hosting - "Write in any editor, publish beautifully" - Target: Technical bloggers, PKM enthusiasts - Goal: 50 paying users at $8/mo = $400 MRR ### Months 7-9: Build Bookworks MVP - Cloud sync for review history - Basic analytics - Course creation tools - Goal: 10 educators testing with real students ### Months 10-12: First Institutional Pilot - One program (e.g., pre-med at medium university) - 100-200 students, one semester - Prove learning outcomes improve - Get testimonials, data, case study ### Year 2: Scale - More pilots → More case studies → Institutional sales - Publish keeps growing organically - Network effects kick in (more content → more users → more content) ## Where I See Risk (Honest Assessment) ### Risk 1: Content Creation is Hard You need **excellent** books to prove the format. Not just "working" but "wow, this is better than my regular textbook." **Mitigation**: - Commission/pay authors upfront for first 5 books? - Partner with existing educators who want to try it? - Write one yourself to prove it's possible? ### Risk 2: Institutional Sales Are Slow Universities take 12-18 months to make decisions. You need runway. **Mitigation**: - Bootstrap via Publish revenue first - Start with online programs (faster decisions) - Start with bootcamps/certification programs (even faster) ### Risk 3: Format Adoption Takes Time If nobody uses mnemonic markdown, the platform doesn't matter. **Mitigation**: - This is why you're building CLI first (prove it works) - Launch in communities that care (r/Anki, PKM Twitter, med students) - Make the initial examples SO GOOD people want to copy them ## My Confidence Level **Overall vision: 9/10** - Solving real problems (textbook costs, author compensation, learning efficacy) - Business model is ethical and sustainable - Technology is feasible - Multiple revenue streams **Execution risk: 6/10** - Depends on getting early content creators - Depends on institutional sales skill (which is hard) - Need to balance open-source ethos with sustainable business ## The Pitch (For Investors, Partners, Early Users) **For early adopters:** "A new markdown format for creating textbooks with built-in spaced repetition. It's open source, works in any text editor, and you own your files forever. We're building the tools and hosting to make it easy." **For educators:** "Publish your course materials as interactive textbooks. Students learn better, you get paid fairly, and you keep creative control. No publisher middleman taking 70%." **For universities:** "Replace your $500/student textbook budget with $100/student for unlimited access to all mnemonic textbooks. Students learn better, professors get analytics, and you solve the textbook cost crisis." **For investors (if you fundraise):** "We're building the publishing platform for the next generation of textbooks. Open format drives adoption, SaaS model captures value, institutional licenses scale to billions. Think Substack meets Anki meets GitHub." ## Bottom Line Does it fit with your publishing SaaS idea? **Absolutely yes.** In fact, it's BETTER than a generic publishing SaaS because: 1. You have a defensible format (mnemonic markdown) 2. You have a specific wedge (spaced repetition) 3. You have multiple customer segments (hobbyists → pros → institutions) 4. You have a clear value ladder (free → $8 → $20 → $100) The only question is: **Can you get the initial content that proves the format?** If you can create (or commission) 5 excellent mnemonic textbooks in high-value niches, everything else follows. What's your plan for creating that initial content? Are you writing it yourself, paying authors, partnering with educators, or something else?