I’m Adam. I’m a founder, a systems thinker, and a builder who cares deeply about creating tools that help more people participate in shaping a better future. A lot of my work focuses on identity, decentralization, and community collaboration.
I co-created BrightID, which helps people prove they are unique human beings without compromising privacy. More recently I started Updraft, a platform where people can support ideas, fund solutions, and get rewarded for participating.
My work does not always fit traditional startup paths. That is intentional. My mission is to make it easier for important ideas to grow and thrive, even when they do not come with a business model attached.
Rethinking Models, Funding, and Participation
The projects I work on are not built to chase profit in conventional ways. BrightID is about privacy-preserving identity, and Updraft is about supporting meaningful work in the open. Neither of those fit neatly into the “raise venture capital and scale” model.
The challenge is how to give these ideas room to grow. That is why I created Updraft. It helps communities support one another, crowdfund ideas, and reward people for valuable contributions.
Discovering HackMD: A Better Way to Work in Markdown
I started using HackMD because I prefer working in markdown. It is simple, lightweight, and makes it easy to capture ideas without distractions.
Google Docs never felt right for technical writing. GitHub was better, but the user experience was not ideal for fast iteration. HackMD gave me the best of both. It combines the simplicity of markdown with a collaboration layer that is much easier to work with.
On top of that, HackMD is open-source–aligned, which matters to me. It feels good to use tools that reflect the same principles I am trying to build into my own projects.
Why HackMD Works for Early-Stage Ideas
When we were first sketching out Aura (BrightID’s verification system) and early versions of Updraft, HackMD became our drafting ground. We wrote technical descriptions, experimented with diagrams, and iterated quickly.
The beauty of HackMD is that it invites contribution. You do not need special access or training. You can just open a doc and start typing. That energy was exactly what we needed while our ideas were still forming.
HackMD helped us move from half-formed thoughts to structured plans, without slowing down.
Unlocking Collaboration Without Barriers
I have not used every community feature in HackMD yet, but it has already changed how we collaborate. Compared to GitHub or other systems, it feels lighter and more accessible.
I use it for documentation, social content drafts, forum posts and blog posts. The Git integration means we can still version control, but HackMD lowers the barrier for people who are not developers.
One of the biggest benefits is how comfortable it makes people feel. Contributors who might hesitate to edit a GitHub repo will happily leave feedback on HackMD. That helps us keep participation open to more voices.
Real-Time Collaboration at Every Stage
A good example came up when we were planning new workflows for Updraft’s crowdfunding system. The ideas were messy and incomplete, so I drafted a rough outline in HackMD and shared it.
Over the next few days, the team jumped in. People added comments, links, diagrams, and suggestions. That document became the place where our decisions came together.
Instead of endless meetings or juggling five different tools, we had one doc, one space, and one source of truth.
Communication as Culture
Tools shape culture. For us, clear communication and open documentation are what make collaboration possible across different disciplines, countries, and skill sets.
HackMD supports that culture by providing a space where anyone can add their voice. It lowers the pressure to “be perfect” and instead encourages feedback and iteration.
We often use HackMD to review public-facing content like blog posts or announcements. Since switching to this process, we have caught more issues early and reduced mistakes in what we publish. That alone has saved us time and credibility.
Why HackMD Fits Publishing Workflows
Another reason HackMD is powerful is its compatibility with publishing platforms that use markdown.
We publish content on platforms like Mirror.xyz for decentralized blogging, Discourse for forum posts,and Updraft.fund for crowdfunding. All of these are built around markdown. That makes HackMD the natural place to draft, review, and finalize content before it goes live.
Our playbook is simple:
- Draft in HackMD.
- Collect feedback with comments and suggestions.
- Iterate directly in the doc.
- Export and publish.
This workflow is cleaner, faster, and less error-prone than juggling Docs or Notion exports.
Evolving My Use of HackMD
Looking forward, I want to explore more of what HackMD can do. A few features I am excited about:
- Book Mode for long-form documentation and guides.
- Slide Mode for presentations that start directly in markdown.
- Blogging through HackMD as a lightweight CMS.
I am also paying close attention to HackMD’s new collaboration and social features. As these connect more closely with Updraft, I see a path where people can draft, share, and fund ideas in one flow. That could unlock a new way of working in the open.
Advice for Other Builders and Community Leaders
If you are just starting with HackMD, here are a few things I would suggest:
Start small. Pick one use case like weekly notes or a kickoff doc. Let your team feel how easy it is.
Make it the single source of truth. Instead of scattering drafts across multiple tools, keep them in HackMD. That consistency builds trust.
Embrace working drafts. Do not wait until something is polished. Share early, invite feedback, and let the team evolve the idea together.
Why HackMD Matters for Communities
HackMD is valuable because it lowers the barrier to contribution. Anyone can join the conversation without needing to learn a new system. That accessibility is its real superpower.
In community projects, the difference between participation and silence often comes down to friction. HackMD removes that friction. It turns messy thoughts into collective progress.
With the partnership between HackMD and Updraft, I see even more potential. Imagine publishing an idea in HackMD, then immediately inviting your community to crowdfund or collaborate on it. That is the kind of open ecosystem we are building.
Final Reflections
HackMD has improved how I work. It has reduced mistakes, encouraged collaboration, and helped us move faster. But beyond the features, it represents something bigger.
It reminds me that thinking out loud with your community is still one of the best ways to build. It creates space for trust, transparency, and participation.
In a noisy, complex world, the simplest tools are often the most transformative. For me, HackMD is one of those tools.
