What I Built
The project started as a 15-day step-by-step build guide for a custom RP2040 macropad from scratch — six keys, two rotary encoders, per-key RGB LEDs, a hand-designed PCB in KiCad, QMK firmware, and a 3D-printed case. The full hardware stack, start to finish.
But a static page felt too limiting. So it grew. A live timeline slider lets you drag anywhere from 3 to 30 days and the entire build schedule recalculates instantly — day numbers update, phase labels shift, the PCB order warning adjusts to the right day. There are clickable task checkboxes that persist in localStorage, a read-progress bar at the top of the page, a live completion counter in the hero section, and four full colour themes (Dark, Light, Hacker Green, Warm Amber) that also remember your preference across refreshes.
The whole thing lives in a single HTML file. No npm, no build tools, no React. Just vanilla HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. The goal was always zero-friction — something anyone can download, open in a browser, and start using immediately.
Here’s everything that made it into the final build: an animated hero with a drifting grid background, five build phases with 15 day-cards that reflow automatically based on your timeline, 75 individual task checkboxes, a syntax-highlighted QMK firmware code reference, a 12-component shopping table with direct buy links, a four-category resource hub covering PCB design, firmware, CAD, and community, and a final launch checklist.
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