Markdown format — a beginner guide for strategy documents in Sculptor

Markdown is a simple way to write documents that stay readable as plain text and look good on the web. Sculptor uses it almost everywhere strategy work lives. You do not need to be a developer to learn the basics.

What Markdown is (and is not)

Markdown is not Microsoft Word and not HTML. It is a format—a set of typing habits—so one file can be:

• Easy to edit in any text editor
• Converted to nice HTML for the browser
• Stored in Git, emailed, or downloaded as .md

You do not need special software to write it. Notepad, VS Code, or Sculptor’s library editor all work.

The symbols you will use every day

Headings

Use # at the start of a line. More # = smaller heading.

# Main title
## Section
### Subsection

In Sculptor strategy documents, ## is especially important: the combined strategy outline often treats level-2 headings as major sections.

Emphasis

**bold for decisions**
*italic for emphasis*

Lists

- First bullet
- Second bullet

1. Step one
2. Step two

Links

Read the [phase guide](/blog/strategy-pack-35-phases-guide) on our site.

Tables (GFM)

GitHub-Flavored Markdown (GFM) adds tables with pipes:

| Phase | Owner |
|-------|-------|
| Intake | Founder |
| Market | Product |

Sculptor chat and library surfaces support GFM tables where markdown is rendered for reading.

Code and quotes

Inline code: `SCOPE-001`

Fenced block (for examples or diagrams):

```text
Example artefact id: BRAIN-001
```

Blockquote:

> Assumption: we launch in Q3 in two regions only.

What you can skip as a beginner

• Raw HTML tags (usually unnecessary)
• Complex nested structures
• Worrying about “perfect” syntax—renderers forgive small mistakes

Learn the 80% above first; add tables and code fences when you need them.

How Sculptor uses Markdown

1. Public blog (what you are reading)

Articles under content/blog/ are .md files with a small YAML header (title, description, date, tags) and markdown body. The site turns them into HTML with GFM and safe sanitization.

2. Strategy Pack library assets

When specialists or Agentic runs finish a phase, outputs are saved as markdown library assets (text/markdown). In the workspace you see formatted headings, lists, and tables—not a wall of raw ## symbols in the main reading surfaces.

3. Combined strategy document

The merged strategy view prefers your edited markdown body. Exports such as Copy markdown and Download .md use what you see in the editor’s serialized markdown so files match your current version.

4. Chat messages

Coach replies are often markdown-rich (headings, bullets, sometimes tables or structured blocks). The chat UI renders them for reading.

5. Legal and docs in the repo

Internal legal pages and documentation also use markdown as the source format—same idea as the blog, different folder.

Good habits for strategy markdown

1. One main idea per ## section — easier for outlines, exports, and reviewers.
2. Name artefacts explicitly — SCOPE-001, OBJ-3, etc., so later phases can reference them.
3. Use tables for comparisons — options, risks, metrics—not only prose paragraphs.
4. Keep lines reasonably short — helps Git diffs and mobile reading.
5. Avoid pasting from Word without cleanup — hidden formatting can become junk characters; paste as plain text when possible.

Example: mini strategy excerpt

## TL;DR

- Wedge: B2B compliance automation for mid-market manufacturers
- Next decision: pricing model by 30 June

## Market signal

| Signal | Source | Confidence |
|--------|--------|------------|
| Buyer urgency | 8 interviews | Medium |
| Budget | 2 LOIs | Low |

## Open questions

1. Do we need EU hosting on day one?
2. Who signs the first enterprise deal—founder or AE?

That is enough structure for a workshop, a library asset, or a board appendix.

Markdown vs PDF vs Word

Format	Best for
Markdown	Living strategy in Sculptor, Git, collaboration, AI coaching
Word	Formal templates, track changes with legal
PDF	Final snapshots, signatures, “do not edit” sends

Workflow many teams use: draft in Sculptor (markdown) → export .md or copy sections → paste into Word/PDF only for the final envelope.

Diagrams and Mermaid

Some Strategy Pack phases include Mermaid diagrams in markdown code fences. Sculptor validates diagram syntax in prompts; broken diagrams fail to render. If you edit diagrams by hand, keep syntax simple—see project Mermaid guides for subgraph and label rules.

For your first month, focus on headings + lists + tables; add diagrams when a phase deliverable asks for them.

Try it in Sculptor tomorrow

1. Open Sculptor and run one specialist phase (for example /intake).
2. Open the saved asset in the library and skim how headings and lists appear in the reader.
3. Use Download .md or Copy markdown and open the file in any text editor—you will see the symbols from this article.
4. Edit one ## heading, save, and confirm the outline and export match your change.

What to read next

• Welcome to the Sculptor blog
• From specialist chat to a library-ready Strategy Pack
• How to set up Ollama Cloud in Sculptor

Keywords: Markdown format tutorial, GFM tables, strategy markdown documents, Sculptor library export, beginner markdown guide.