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.
The Pimoroni Presto is a compact, low-power display powered by a Raspberry Pi chip —perfect for turning your desk into a little piece of living music art. I’ve been running mine as a “Now Playing” Spotify display using the brilliant PrestoDeck code by @fatihak on GitHub.
It’s not exactly a “build”… but it’s definitely a delightful maker-adjacent gadget. 😄
My favorite part? The tiny, framed album art that shifts as my playlist rolls. It feels like having a mini vinyl wall on your desk.
This is where the Presto shines: it’s approachable, especially compared to ESP-based setups.
I followed the PrestoDeck walkthrough (GitHub link below) and had it up and running in under 30 minutes, including:
✅ Cloning the repo
✅ OAuth Spotify credentials
✅ WiFi + Screen config
If you’re comfortable flashing firmware or tinkering with JSON files, you’ll be right at home.
📎 GitHub project: https://github.com/fatihak/PrestoDeck
After weeks of use, it has been rock solid.
Minimalist and matte, the Presto:
✔ Sits unobtrusively next to your keyboard
✔ Looks great in both enthusiast and office setups
✔ Has a relaxing presence — like a smart desk ornament
It’s one of those objects that makes your tech feel friendlier.
| Ideal For | Not Ideal For |
|---|---|
| People who love having music visible | Those who never use Spotify, don't have premium |
| Retro desk aesthetic enjoyers | Non-technical users unwilling to authenticate APIs |
| Raspberry Pi tinkerers, vibe coders | Anyone wanting a full smart display experience |
The Pimoroni Presto + PrestoDeck combo nails it:
⭐ Simple
⭐ Beautiful
⭐ Personal
If you listen to music while you work, this little display adds delight with zero clutter.
It earned a permanent spot on my desk.
🛒 Buy from Pimoroni: https://shop.pimoroni.com/products/presto
