This weekend, I pulled off my own hackathon. The challenge? Cleaning up 200+ Google Slides of my upcoming book: Marketing Plan for Tech Startups.
Why so many edits?
After a year of experiments and contributions from several collaborators, each with their own style, the deck had turned into a Frankenstein: fonts all over the place, inconsistent sizes, text boxes scattered. Original thinkers are not known to stick to templates. 🤪
Why did I write a book in Google Slides?
Because I wanted to create a tool as much as a book, a resource startup founders and marketers can apply right away. My rationale: keep text lean, rely on visuals, and use slides as a constraint so every word carries weight.
As the book launch at TECH WEEK by a16z in San Francisco this October approaches, the thought of unifying it all was daunting. Manually cleaning 200+ slides would take days, and still never be perfectly consistent.
So I turned to AI. It thrives on repetitive and grueling work, the kind humans struggle to do well. I just needed to get it inside Google Slides.
How to vibe-code away the pain of manual slide edits
First, I accessed App Script under “Extensions” in Google Workspace Slides:
Second, I used Windsurf to vibe-code the features I wanted:
From a single prompt…
… I got ready to use code and a deployment guide in seconds.
Third, I pasted the code into Apps Script…
… and just like that, I got the first tool. Quick test… It works, yay!
I continued with more prompts to build functions like updating colors to a specific shade of black or changing fonts to Lato.
Soon enough, I had my own full set of “Slide Tools” to tame 200+ slides. ⬇️
Maybe in addition to publishing a book, I should start a side hustle selling Google Slides automations. After all, I have already got one very polished deck to prove it works. 😉
One more thing
Like every good hackathon, this one came with a “one more thing.” It reminded me of the real power of vibe coding: when products open APIs, anyone can go beyond the defaults, shape tools their own way, and turn a generic product into something personal.
The future of software with AI: everyone can be a co-creator.
And with vibe coding democratizing access to computer programming, that future is close and attainable.
Everyone can make a popular tool even more useful.
As a marketer, I’m excited about the future of software. I’ve spent my career helping emerging technologies find their market and convert innovation into sales. That same spirit is what I poured into my upcoming book. Marketing Plan for Tech Startups is meant to be a practical guide that helps founders and innovators do the same.
And just like a product with open APIs, this book is built to be extended. If you’d like to add your perspective or contribute to future editions, I’d love to hear from you.
Please comment below or send me a DM, and I’ll be in touch!
If you’d like to pre-order my book and/or support the launch, here’s the link: https://marketingwithjustyna.gumroad.com/l/MARKETINGPLAN
Tech Surprises 
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