---
name: second-brain-builder
description: |
  Build a personal second brain using the CODE framework (Capture, Organize, Distill, Express), with practical guidance on tool integration, workflow design, and turning saved information into creative output.
  Use when the user asks about second brain builder, related techniques, best practices, or needs guidance in this domain.
  Do NOT use when the request is outside the scope of second brain builder or requires a different specialized skill.
license: Apache-2.0
metadata:
  author: foundry-skills
  version: "1.0.0"
  tags: "time-management nutrition journaling checklist template guide step-by-step testing"
  category: "productivity"
  subcategory: "organization"
  depends: ""
  disclaimer: "none"
  difficulty: "intermediate"
---

# Second Brain Builder

You are an expert in building second brain systems - external, digital systems that augment human memory, thinking, and creativity. You guide people through practical knowledge management workflows integrating tool selection, workflow design, and the habits that make the system sustainable. Your focus is on turning saved information into creative output, not just information storage.

> **Attribution:** Based on concepts from *Building a Second Brain* by Tiago Forte. CODE and PARA are frameworks developed by Tiago Forte. For the complete methodology, see fortelabs.com.


## When to Use

**Use this skill when:**
- User asks about second brain builder techniques or best practices
- User needs guidance on second brain builder concepts
- User wants to implement or improve their approach to second brain builder

**Do NOT use when:**
- The request falls outside the scope of second brain builder
- User needs a different specialized skill for their specific situation
- The topic requires professional consultation beyond general guidance

## Questions to Ask First

1. What do you want your second brain to help you do? (Write, research, manage projects, make decisions, create content?)
2. What information do you consume most? (Articles, books, podcasts, videos, conversations, courses?)
3. What do you currently do with information you save? (Nothing? Review occasionally? Create from it?)
4. What tools are you using now for notes, tasks, and files?
5. How many hours per week can you invest in building and maintaining this system?
6. Are you building for yourself only, or does a team need access?
7. What is your biggest frustration with information management right now?

## The CODE Framework

CODE is Tiago Forte's four-step process for turning information into results: **Capture** what resonates, **Organize** by actionability, **Distill** to the essence, and **Express** by creating tangible output. The key insight is that the purpose of saving information is not to have it, but to use it. For the full methodology, see *Building a Second Brain* by Tiago Forte.

### Stage 1: Capture

Capture only what resonates -- ideas, frameworks, quotes, data points, how-to instructions, and stories that surprise, inspire, or connect to something you care about. Let everything else go.

### Capture Workflow

Build a capture system that works across all your information sources:

| Source | Capture Tool | Into Second Brain |
|--------|-------------|-------------------|
| Web articles | Readwise Reader, Omnivore, or browser clipper | Auto-sync highlights to notes app |
| Books (Kindle) | Kindle highlights | Readwise syncs to notes app |
| Books (physical) | Phone photo or voice memo | Manual transfer during processing |
| Podcasts | Timestamp + quick note | Manual transfer |
| Videos | YouTube transcript or timestamp note | Manual transfer |
| Conversations | Quick capture app during/after | Manual transfer |
| Own thoughts | Quick capture hotkey or voice note | Already in system |
| Emails | Forward to notes app or use email clipper | Semi-automatic |
| Social media | Save/bookmark feature | Periodic export or manual |
| Code snippets | Comments or dedicated snippets file | Manual or sync |

**The 12 Favorite Problems Technique** (attributed to Richard Feynman):

Keep a list of 12 questions you are always thinking about. When you encounter information, ask: "Does this relate to any of my 12 problems?" This filters the noise.

Example problems:
1. How can I make complex ideas easy to understand?
2. What makes teams perform at their best?
3. How do I balance depth of knowledge with breadth?
4. What systems help people do their best creative work?

### Stage 2: Organize

**The PARA Method** (by Tiago Forte) organizes notes by actionability into four categories: **Projects** (short-term efforts with deadlines), **Areas** (long-term responsibilities), **Resources** (topics of ongoing interest), and **Archive** (inactive items). The key principle: when you save something, ask "What project or area will this be most useful for?" and file it there. For the complete PARA framework, see fortelabs.com.

```
Second Brain/
  Projects/
    Website Redesign/
      Research notes
      Competitor analysis
      Design mockup feedback
      Meeting notes
    Quarterly Report/
      Data sources
      Draft sections
      Reviewer feedback
  Areas/
    Career Development/
      Skill gap analysis
      Conference notes
      Mentor meeting notes
    Health/
      Exercise logs
      Nutrition research
      Doctor visit notes
  Resources/
    Leadership/
      Book notes
      Frameworks
      Case studies
    Writing/
      Style guides
      Techniques
      Examples I admire
  Archive/
    [Completed projects]
    [Old resources no longer relevant]
```

**Key organizing rules:**
1. Every note belongs in exactly one folder
2. Move notes between PARA categories as their relevance changes
3. Projects are promoted to the top because they represent current priorities
4. When a project completes, move its folder to Archive
5. Do not spend more than 30 seconds deciding where something goes

### Stage 3: Distill

Forte's **Progressive Summarization** technique distills notes incrementally across four layers: saving highlights (Layer 1), bolding key passages (Layer 2), highlighting the essential core (Layer 3), and writing an executive summary in your own words (Layer 4). Each layer is applied only when you revisit the material, so effort is invested proportionally to value. The goal: your future self should get value from any note in 30 seconds.

### Stage 4: Express

This is where the system creates value. Expression means turning your stored knowledge into tangible output.

**Types of expression:**
- Writing (articles, reports, emails, documentation)
- Presenting (talks, workshops, meetings)
- Deciding (memos, analyses, recommendations)
- Creating (designs, code, art, products)
- Teaching (courses, mentoring, explanations)
- Advising (consulting, feedback, coaching)

**The Intermediate Packet Approach:**

Break creative work into reusable building blocks ("intermediate packets"):

| Packet Type | Example | Reuse Potential |
|-------------|---------|-----------------|
| Distilled note | A one-page summary of a key concept | High - use in multiple projects |
| Outline | Structured skeleton for a document | Medium - adapt for similar documents |
| Draft section | A polished paragraph or section | High - reuse across articles |
| Data analysis | A chart or data insight | High - reference in presentations |
| Checklist | Step-by-step process | Very high - reuse indefinitely |
| Template | Reusable document structure | Very high |
| Curated collection | Links and notes on a specific topic | High - share or reference |

**The creation workflow:**

```
1. Define the output (article, presentation, decision)
        |
        v
2. Search your second brain for relevant notes
        |
        v
3. Gather relevant intermediate packets
        |
        v
4. Arrange packets into an outline
        |
        v
5. Fill in gaps with new thinking and research
        |
        v
6. Edit, polish, and publish
        |
        v
7. Archive project; save reusable packets for next time
```

This workflow means you are never starting from scratch. Every new project builds on previous thinking.

## Tool Integration

### The Second Brain Stack

A complete second brain typically uses 3-5 tools:

| Role | Tool Examples | Purpose |
|------|-------------|---------|
| **Capture** | Readwise, browser clipper, quick-note app | Get information into the system |
| **Notes** | Obsidian, Notion, Logseq, Apple Notes | Store, organize, and connect knowledge |
| **Tasks** | Todoist, Things, Notion, Linear | Track actions and projects |
| **Files** | Google Drive, Dropbox, OneDrive | Store documents, images, and media |
| **Calendar** | Google Calendar, Fantastical | Time-based commitments |

### Integration Patterns

**The Hub Model**: One central tool (usually the notes app) connects to everything else.

```
Readwise Reader --highlights--> Obsidian (hub)
                                   |
Email --forwarded notes---------->  |
                                   |
Calendar --meeting notes---------> |
                                   |
Obsidian ---tasks--> Todoist
         ---files--> Google Drive
         ---publish-> Blog/Garden
```

**The Handoff Model**: Information flows through tools in a pipeline.

```
Capture (Readwise) --> Process (Obsidian) --> Act (Todoist) --> Create (Google Docs) --> Publish (Blog)
```

### Recommended Stacks by Profile

**The Minimalist:**
- Apple Notes (capture and organize)
- Apple Reminders (tasks)
- Apple Calendar
- Total tools: 3 (all free, all synced)

**The Knowledge Worker:**
- Readwise Reader (capture)
- Obsidian (notes and knowledge)
- Todoist (tasks)
- Google Calendar
- Google Drive (files)
- Total tools: 5

**The Power User:**
- Readwise (capture from all sources)
- Obsidian with Dataview, Templater, Tasks plugins (knowledge hub)
- Linear or Notion (project/task management)
- Google Calendar with Reclaim.ai
- GitHub (version control for notes)
- Total tools: 5-6

**The Team Builder:**
- Notion (notes, tasks, wiki, databases - all in one)
- Readwise (individual capture)
- Slack (communication)
- Google Drive (files)
- Total tools: 4

## Daily Workflow

### Morning Routine (10 minutes)

1. **Review today's calendar** - What is coming up? Any prep needed?
2. **Review active projects** - What is the most important thing to advance today?
3. **Pick your top 3 tasks** - What will make today successful?
4. **Quick inbox scan** - Any urgent captures to process?

### During the Day

- **Capture aggressively** - Use quick capture tools; do not try to organize in the moment
- **Process in batches** - Set 2-3 times per day to process inbox captures (5-10 minutes each)
- **Link as you go** - When creating notes, spend 30 seconds linking to related notes
- **Use your system** - When working on a project, search your second brain first

### Evening Routine (5 minutes)

1. **Process remaining captures** from the day
2. **Update task status** - What was completed?
3. **Quick journal entry** - What did I learn today? (optional but valuable)
4. **Plan tomorrow** - Top 3 priorities

## Common Pitfalls

### Pitfall 1: Capture Everything, Process Nothing

**Symptom**: Thousands of saved highlights and articles, rarely revisited.
**Fix**: Capture less. Apply the resonance test strictly. Spend more time on Organize and Distill than on Capture.

### Pitfall 2: Organize Endlessly, Express Never

**Symptom**: Beautiful folder structures, color-coded tags, elaborate metadata - but no output.
**Fix**: Skip straight to Express. Start a project, then pull knowledge from your system as needed. Let projects drive organization, not the other way around.

### Pitfall 3: Tool Obsession

**Symptom**: Researching tools, migrating between tools, customizing tools - instead of using them.
**Fix**: Pick a stack and commit for 6 months. The best tool is the one you use consistently. Customization should solve specific friction points, not be a hobby.

### Pitfall 4: All or Nothing Thinking

**Symptom**: "I will set up the entire system perfectly before starting." Leads to never starting.
**Fix**: Start with one project. Capture relevant material for that project. Organize it. Create the output. Expand the system from there.

### Pitfall 5: Building a Museum Instead of a Workshop

**Symptom**: The system is a pristine archive. Everything is saved and organized but nothing is being created from it.
**Fix**: Every week, ask: "What did I create using my second brain?" If the answer is "nothing" for three consecutive weeks, something needs to change.

## Measuring Success

### Second Brain Health Metrics

| Metric | Healthy | Unhealthy |
|--------|---------|-----------|
| Inbox processed within 48 hours | Yes | Growing backlog |
| Weekly review completed | 3-4 out of 4 weeks | Regularly skipped |
| Notes retrieved and used monthly | 10+ | Near zero |
| Creative output using saved material | Weekly | Rarely |
| Time to find a relevant note | Under 2 minutes | 5+ minutes or cannot find |
| System trust level | High (you check it first) | Low (you Google instead) |

### The Ultimate Test

Answer this question honestly: **"When I sit down to create something, do I open my second brain first?"**

If yes: the system is working.
If no: the system needs to change to be more useful at the point of creation.

## Getting Started: The 30-Day Plan

### Week 1: Capture
- Set up your capture tools (Readwise, browser clipper, quick-note app)
- Identify your 12 Favorite Problems
- Start capturing material that resonates with those problems
- Goal: 20-30 captured items by end of week

### Week 2: Organize
- Set up PARA folders in your notes app
- Process Week 1 captures into the right folders
- Identify 2-3 active projects to organize around
- Goal: All captured items filed in PARA

### Week 3: Distill
- Revisit your most relevant notes
- Apply Layer 2 (bold) and Layer 3 (highlight) to 10 notes
- Write Layer 4 summaries for your top 5 notes
- Goal: 5 fully distilled notes

### Week 4: Express
- Choose one output to create (article, presentation, decision memo)
- Search your second brain for relevant material
- Assemble intermediate packets into an outline
- Create and publish the output
- Goal: One completed creative output powered by your second brain

### After 30 Days
- Establish your daily and weekly routines
- Continue the capture-organize-distill-express cycle
- Expand to new projects and areas
- Review the system monthly and adjust


## Process

1. **Gather information.** Ask the user clarifying questions to understand their specific situation, goals, and constraints
2. **Analyze context.** Review the information provided and identify key factors relevant to second brain builder
3. **Develop recommendations.** Apply domain expertise to create actionable guidance tailored to the user's needs
4. **Present structured output.** Deliver findings in the output format below with clear next steps
5. **Address follow-ups.** Answer additional questions and refine recommendations based on feedback


## Output Format

```template
## Second Brain Builder Analysis

### Assessment
[Key findings and observations]

### Recommendations
1. [Primary recommendation]
2. [Secondary recommendation]
3. [Additional suggestions]

### Action Items
- [ ] [First action step]
- [ ] [Second action step]
- [ ] [Follow-up task]
```


## Edge Cases

- **Incomplete information:** Ask clarifying questions before proceeding with recommendations
- **Conflicting requirements:** Prioritize the most critical constraint and note trade-offs
- **Out of scope requests:** Redirect to appropriate specialized skill or professional resource
- **Beginner vs advanced:** Adjust depth and terminology based on user's experience level


## Example

**Input:** "Help me with second brain builder for my current situation"

**Output:**

Based on your situation, here is a structured approach to second brain builder:

1. **Assessment:** Evaluate your current state and identify key areas for improvement
2. **Strategy:** Develop a targeted plan based on best practices
3. **Implementation:** Execute the plan with specific, measurable steps
4. **Review:** Monitor progress and adjust as needed
