What is JSON?
The format the web runs on. Nested objects and arrays, real types, and a syntax small enough to fit on a postcard. It maps badly onto a grid, which is why converting deeply nested JSON to a spreadsheet always involves losing something.
What is Markdown?
Plain text with just enough punctuation to imply formatting, which is why it ended up as the default for READMEs, issues, wikis and notes. Its tables are the awkward part - a pipe-and-dash grid that's readable enough written by hand and tedious to maintain by hand.