Ryan McDonough

Founder, Sometime Artist

CFO and co-founder @Accompany, acquired by @Cisco. Turnaround CFO @Ning, sold to Glam Media. Former seed VC. McKinsey trained. @Wharton School and @Haas School of Business.

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Nostalgia Box XL

This minimalist retro gaming box, built inside a Marie Kondo x Container Store box, combines an 18.5” display, Raspberry Pi 4B, and Shargeek Storm 2 battery for endless retro gaming sessions. Featuring NES-inspired 8BitDo controllers and a built-in Chromecast for streaming, it’s a perfect blend of nostalgic design and modern functionality. Sleek, powerful, and designed to spark joy, this setup brings the ’80s gaming experience into a stylish, discreet package.
Retro Computing

Marie Kondo x RetroPie. Blending nostalgia with minimalism, I’ve built an 18.5” retro gaming powerhouse inside a Marie Kondo x Container Store box—because joy should also be stylish and discreet.

Using a Raspberry Pi 4B as the brain of the setup, I carefully fit the screen into the box with minimal external modifications, securing it with four chrome screws through a VESA mount and a small slit on the side. With its subtle design, it hides in plain sight alongside the decor in my dining room.

 

Powering this sleek setup is the mighty Shargeek Storm 2, a 25,600mAh battery that delivers days of use, ensuring uninterrupted play or streaming sessions. Speaking of streaming—when the gaming session winds down, the built-in Chromecast transforms the system into an entertainment hub, perfect for unwinding with a movie or TV show using the included remote.

Banana for Scale: 2024 15″ Apple Macbook Air vs. 2024 18.5″ Nostalgia Box XL

Cooling is handled by an internal fan, keeping the Raspberry Pi running smoothly as it emulates all the retro classics I grew up with in the ’80s. From the NES-inspired Emulation Station interface to the authentic feel of the 8BitDo keyboard and N30Pro controllers, everything in this build is a nod to the consoles and computers of my childhood. The clicky keyboard and perfectly tactile controllers merge the old-school aesthetic with modern functionality, capturing the spirit of those vintage systems while adding modern comforts.

 

It’s a true joy-sparking setup—combining nostalgic charm with modern-day performance, all within a simple, minimalist container.

System 7 Gaming – Dark Castle & Arkanoid