diff --git a/.github/workflows/docs.yml b/.github/workflows/docs.yml
index c42888e..fe969cc 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/docs.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/docs.yml
@@ -27,13 +27,13 @@ jobs:
         with:
           python-version: "3.12"
 
-      - name: Install MkDocs Material
-        run: pip install mkdocs-material
+      - name: Install Zensical
+        run: pip install zensical
 
       - uses: actions/configure-pages@v4
 
       - name: Build docs
-        run: mkdocs build --strict
+        run: zensical build --strict
 
       - uses: actions/upload-pages-artifact@v3
         with:
diff --git a/.github/workflows/release.yml b/.github/workflows/release.yml
index 7d70b9d..7018f6f 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/release.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/release.yml
@@ -29,7 +29,7 @@ jobs:
           before-script-linux: |
             # cmake + perl-IPC-Cmd are required by openssl-sys (vendored build)
             if command -v yum &>/dev/null; then
-              yum install -y cmake perl-IPC-Cmd
+              yum install -y cmake perl-IPC-Cmd perl-Time-Piece
             fi
 
       - uses: actions/upload-artifact@v4
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index f25862e..449d8b3 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -10,6 +10,8 @@ Pascal handles workspace scaffolding, dependency wiring, and UV workspace sync 
 
 **[Documentation](https://sandeep-selvaraj.github.io/pascal)** · [Installation](https://sandeep-selvaraj.github.io/pascal/installation/) · [Quickstart](https://sandeep-selvaraj.github.io/pascal/quickstart/) · [Commands](https://sandeep-selvaraj.github.io/pascal/commands/)
 
+> Heavily inspired by [Polylith](https://polylith.gitbook.io/polylith) — *packages* map to Polylith's components, *apps* to its bases, brought to the Python/UV ecosystem with a minimal footprint.
+
 ---
 
 ## Installation
@@ -182,8 +184,8 @@ pascal --version
 ### Serve docs locally
 
 ```bash
-pip install mkdocs-material
-mkdocs serve
+pip install zensical
+zensical serve
 ```
 ---
 
diff --git a/docs/contributing.md b/docs/contributing.md
index 378f3bb..49712b4 100644
--- a/docs/contributing.md
+++ b/docs/contributing.md
@@ -127,8 +127,8 @@ pascal --version
 ## Serving docs locally
 
 ```bash
-pip install mkdocs-material
-mkdocs serve
+pip install zensical
+zensical serve
 # open http://127.0.0.1:8000
 ```
 
diff --git a/docs/index.md b/docs/index.md
index 2b54b1d..01566cc 100644
--- a/docs/index.md
+++ b/docs/index.md
@@ -60,6 +60,16 @@ pascal test
 | **app** | A deployable entry-point under `apps/`. Has a `[project.scripts]` entry and may depend on workspace packages. |
 | **brick** | Internal term for any workspace member (package or app). |
 
+## Inspiration
+
+Pascal is heavily inspired by [Polylith](https://polylith.gitbook.io/polylith) — an architecture concept that encourages decomposing a system into small, focused, reusable *components* and *bases*, all living in a single repository.
+
+Polylith's core idea is that code should be organised around **what it does** (components) rather than **which service it belongs to** — making it easy to compose different combinations of components into deployable artifacts. Pascal brings this same philosophy to the Python ecosystem with a simpler surface area: *packages* map to Polylith's components, and *apps* map to its bases.
+
+Where Polylith is an opinionated full-stack architecture, pascal is deliberately minimal — it handles the scaffolding and dependency wiring and then gets out of the way, leaving the rest to UV and standard Python tooling.
+
+If you find the ideas here compelling, the [Polylith documentation](https://polylith.gitbook.io/polylith) and its [Python tooling](https://davidvujic.github.io/python-polylith-docs/) are well worth reading.
+
 ## Next steps
 
 - [Install pascal](installation.md)
diff --git a/mkdocs.yml b/mkdocs.yml
index 3d785f1..4178471 100644
--- a/mkdocs.yml
+++ b/mkdocs.yml
@@ -57,6 +57,7 @@ markdown_extensions:
       emoji_index: !!python/name:material.extensions.emoji.twemoji
       emoji_generator: !!python/name:material.extensions.emoji.to_svg
   - attr_list
+  - md_in_html
   - def_list
   - tables
   - toc: