Pick a Notes App: Your Notetaking Style (Part 1)

[@athelija]

Those feel like phases of note taking rather than archetypes for me. Librarian is stage 1 (collecting info), Architect is stage 2 (organizing info), Gardener is stage 3 (digesting info and making connections). I think each is lost without the other 2.

[@TiagoForte]

Very interesting! I'd argue the phases of notetaking are deeper and more universal than any one archetype - in Building a Second Brain we orient everything around 4 phases of information Capture, Organize, Distill, and Express - but the idea that each archetype would gravitate to one of those phases is a fun twist

[@coreylevine5348]

@@TiagoForte Are you using specific apps for each phase of CODE? If so, which apps and how?

[@wilsonlyt5765]

@@TiagoForte I think that these three are not in a clash that couldn’t be together, for me I go between different types. It depends on what kind of stuff I’m into. If it comes to really loose knowledge that I don’t need to think that much, I would wander it like a gardener. When it comes to very hard core knowledge, I tend to process it in my head instead of writing it down then after a hard processing, write down a full conclusion. When it comes to something that requires organisation, if it could be a team work or something that I know that I’m truly going to need to prioritise it or something that needs that more rigid organisation, it comes to the architect style. I doubt if any of these type must be happening only one of the same person because I think that the tools come in handy when it comes to how do we use that certain type of tool and that certain type of use case, or so call how that brain works. I’m just probably saying it too soon, I’ll continue to watch all of your videos on how to choose a note taking tool. Thanks for the inspiring video!

[@jmisc]

This. Researchers do gardeners like Notetaking, but later need Librarian style Notetaking.

[@AndrewFulo]

@@wilsonlyt5765 I completely agree with what you're saying. For many, I believe that there is no single archetype - it all depends on the information and content you're working with and how you value that information and the purpose that information holds. This video definitely gives insight to these 4 buckets but I think people switch between them more often. This has been a an insightful video indeed.

[@SirenaFinesse]

I actually grinned when you started explaining the Librarian. There's something just so comforting about this archetype for me. I'm obsessed with just researching things and collecting things and "knowing" things and sharing things. That's a lot of things! Lovely video! I'll be returning for more of your content. Thank you!

[@JohnMcCreery]

Philosophically, I am a gardener, always asking “What are we missing here?” An independent scholar, I use Obsidian for my research. For simple lists and to capture links to interesting items like this video, I use Apple Notes and Reminders. My biggest difference from others here is likely to be that I am old, 77, soon to be 78, more interested in “What was that all about?” than in what may happen next.

[@peterueberfeldt1527]

Hi John, we have something in common. Being 81 I use the program TheBrain since years in the same sense making as you.

[@timothydaniels504]

As a retired, but busy, person, understanding the potential of all this technology is a challenge. I’ve had several of the mentioned notetaking apps on my iPad but have never made good use of them. This tutorial is outstanding…realizing that I’m a librarian is a first step. Thank you for your kind help.

[@nareck]

I am glad you started talking about Obsidian. It has 3 key advantages - 1. Operates locally 2. Data is saved in standard format: markdown files 3. Awesome community I think it resonates with people who also value freedom, privacy and are willing to take responsibility for managing their data.

[@BrunoPulis]

I really enjoy to using Obsidian, its a great tool.

[@TiagoForte]

Going to be talking a lot more about Obsidian, it's one of the fastest growing apps among our students

[@coreylevine5348]

@@TiagoForte Are you using Obsidian at all in your CODE workflow? If so, how?

[@tobyseufert]

I've been using it since mid-2021, (when I switched from Notion) and it is by far my favourite app that I've tried.

[@anneworks]

It does for me, do you have favourite community resources? I'm seriously thinking of making it my first note taking app and even take the effort migrate some Evernote stuff there. Evernote is fine for capture, and I've had it for a long time, but I like to explore a lot of different ideas and don't have the inner structure necessary for evernote to work for me. I'd say I'm a gardener with a library ;)

[@ALMBusinessInstitute]

I want to thank you for this video series. As a business owner, I was constantly using 3-5 (or more 🤦🏽‍♀️) different notebooks at all times. No was carrying these notebooks in a separate bag filled with only notebooks. In addition to carrying the extra load, I would always misplace which notebook had the notes I was looking for. Enter your Second Brain Series. I now have Evernote on every device, desktop, laptops, tablets and phones. I took all my notebooks and scanned the important pages into Evernote. This has been nothing short of a miracle for me and my productivity. Thank you, again!!

[@Rider0fBuffalo]

This is great! For those that are interested in why these terms are fitting it helps to know the fundamental design of a note taking service... If you are an Architect you want a service that is relational based (Notion). A Gardener you want a graph-based service (Obsidian), and if you a Librarian you want a directory based service (OneNote). For those who are familiar with computer science it is easier to figure out what service to used based on what data structures it supports.

[@athaya2992]

spot on description! thank you!

[@Hybridsoulman521]

I see myself identifying with all three, I think that makes me a student archetype however, I think that's because I'm at a HUGE crossroad in my life where I feel compelled to learn so much in a short time. But I must say my heart fluttered when I heard the of the Gardener archetype. I believe in the next 2 years that will be my primary archetype. This is a great discovery!

[@DrShonto]

I have been using THE BRAIN app for years. I was surprised you have never mentioned it…THE BRAIN app is AMAZING‼️❤

[@EmmanuelKusiAchampong]

I am a student, architect and a librarian. I find myself using three apps for different purposes.

[@TiagoForte]

👏

[@adelaineng1350]

Me too! And at the end it just looks like a messy garden 😂. I have way too many pages and categories. And I’m still looking for the perfect digital handwriting private journal!

[@ThePathOfEudaimonia]

Which apps do you use for what specifically, Emmanuel?

[@EmmanuelKusiAchampong]

@@ThePathOfEudaimonia I use Apple Notes and Notion

[@ThePathOfEudaimonia]

@@EmmanuelKusiAchampong Thanks for the reply!

[@diamonddrop]

I saw the earlier video on these archetypes. It helped me decide to transition from OneNote to Roam Research. The biggest benefit so far is rethinking the concept of "pages". In OneNote I hated to make a page with just a few words or mix multiple issues on one page. In Roam, "pages" are made almost without trying and are out of sight until you need them. I can put anything anywhere in there and trust it will show up in the best context when I need it.

[@ineiii3468]

I identified myself as an architect and a student and I was actually surprised you mentioned the apps I have leaned towards when I finally decided to narrow down: notion and Google keep. I used Evernote for many years but was instantly intrigued by notion and made the transition slowly over the last few months. I found evernote didn’t really give me the visual and the structure I craved for organising my longer term goals and lists. Google keep is as you said a daily app so I use it to store daily bits of info. Great video

[@iamsanyamgoel]

I was trying to find a comment that might help me determine my archetype. I also use Google Keep for everything. But I like to program my life by making structural notes and strictly complying to them. Thanks to your comment, I have decided to use Notion for structural notes and Keep as the quicker daily driver.

[@DataRich2525]

I'm definitely a librarian in terms of how I do notetaking. For me it's about categorizing notes and articles for fast retrieval later. Also a huge Evernote fan and have really come to love the Web Clipper. It works fantastically!

[@nathan6899]

Arguably one of the most important AA video’s I’ve ever watched. It’s currently on loop on my iPad. It’s 3 years old and it’s only just started to resonate with me (in a big way). The power of a KZbin video. Create it once and it continues to provide value years down the line. Thank you AA & TF🙏🏾

[@crystal_2020]

I’m definitely a librarian. I’ve been using Evernote for at least 8 years. When I’m able to quickly access a quote, account number, or my son’s medical records with a few clicks on my phone I feel like I have a super power 😂

[@happinessisafulltank]

I think I’m mostly a Gardener, but I’ve definitely felt the pressure of maintaining “perfect” notes or being overwhelmed with features, so I resort much more to things like Drafts for quick capture because it feels so simple and immediate.

[@CaptnCav8]

Feeling you here! Lol 👋🏻

[@susanpearson-creativefibro]

I have dabbled with several of the apps and thrown myself into them at different times. As a long time Evernote user, I now use it as a digital filing cabinet. It has scans of household paperwork, scans of sentimental items like special greetings cards and also catalogues of all my paper crafting resources. I used Notion for a time and created August Bradley’s PPV system but after meticulously predating it all I didn’t want to use it. I have been using Obsidian for a while now and it feels right. I have found myself pulling together notes from blog posts from completely different genres which have sparked thoughts and ideas. Evernote will always be my filing cabinet but I can’t imagine not having my second brain in Obsidian.

[@mediawolf1]

I'm definitely a Gardener and use Roam, though I also systematize and curate. My wife is definitely a student and I love that you include this type because it helps me understand that she is most comfortable in Apple Notes and other simple/build-in apps, and why, and consider that as I look for something we both can use for shared projects.

[@mcplainview8376]

Would you say Gardener would be the one for creatives or artists?

[@erindover6617]

In everything I do, I have how it relates to my Hubs and Kiddo in mind also. I instantly resonated with Librarian, and felt Hubs would fancy himself as Architect (but isn’t), and I see Kiddo growing into Gardener if only I could get her going with the right foundation. Thank you for recognizing the Student (whether literal or in our adult selves). I’ve spent months on many hours of research, trial and error, to no avail. I need a system for myself that allows for my notes + projects + ideas, that also allows for integrating, assessing, and steering systems that are suited to Husband and Kiddo. Thank you for these clear, straightforward solutions. This, combined with concepts from “The Second Brain” brings it all together.

[@sharon1484]

Enlightening! I am a Librarian with a 'student' subset. As an exec coach, I am always looking for new concepts and ideas for my clients. This is already helping me think forward more productively. I look forward to learning more. Thank you!

[@t.s.bridges4008]

I have two collaborating colleagues. One is a dyed in the wool Architect (Notion for structure & Obsidian for writing). The other is a creative Gardner (Scapple for mind maps and Obsidian for writing). The Gardner also has a 13-year-old Evernote treasure trove library. I enjoy watching the Architect, and the Gardner interact. Their choreography depicts a sensual entanglement as they pass story ideas, drafts, edits, and published articles between each other. Together they form a hybrid archetype: Architectural Gardners.

[@Beeliswahili]

ahh, scapple - such an awesome free-form mind-mapping tool...

[@Littletime839]

Lol - landscape designers

[@billgross3579]

The librarian archetype resonates with me. I've never found Evernote to be very helpful. Joplin has been the winner for me, but I regularly check out videos like yours to be sure I'm not missing something better. Thanks for this series!!

[@RaoBlackWellizedArman]

Same here. I don't really know what the merit of Evernote is.

[@YamiHoward]

Same. Evernote feels overhyped and over monetized. I hit a pay wall at some point and immediately threw the entire thing out a metaphorical window. I'm pretty sure I'm a librarian, but I'll probably use either Obsidian or Notion primarily.

[@clickbaitpro]

​@@YamiHowardI agree with you. I like how Notion works but the notes are not encrypted and people lost their data. Obsidian overcomes those deficiencies but Syncing is one issue here

[@almeidapipe4913]

Am I the only one who thinks this man looks like Elon musk?

[@JMRM1410]

Was just thinking the same. Like a younger brother.

[@natasha.r.m]

Yeah, I thought the same.

[@lauramay9717]

I saw a picture recently and thought it was Tiago and it was Elon.

[@utiniposungu1221]

Please don't insult Mr. Forte.

[@YoyoYoyo-kj4bc]

M a librarian

[@ceafva]

Thank you. Been going around in circles. Before you finished I thought I was a librarian until I heard student and staying on the lighter side of capturing. I'm going to play with this direction and see if this unconfused me.

[@pinglin4552]

Thanks for identifying the Student style. I've tried to start Second Brains multiple times, but always got stuck because of how overbearing the apps/styles felt. I would resort to throwing a few notes into Google Notes. Interested to see what advice you may have in the future for Students.

[@EddieVSand]

That was me too 👍🙂

[@Lucentlens]

Me too! I find Google Keep to be extremely helpful - even potent - for my needs. As a writer - I'm always taking down different types of notes.

[@hamsful9755]

ok

[@FranzReuchlein]

I start new exploration with a beginners mind (Shunryu Suzuki) A student. Post it notes, the back of a receipt or a digital note app. Then I transform information into gardener mode. Looking for connections. Until I learned about Zettlekasten, I was a wreck because order was difficult. I have slipped into Architect mode and wind up with aesthetically wonderful yet empty mansion. So, I am going with Gardener. And I will constrain myself with an open source alternative to Obsidian.

[@Mat-og7kj]

You literally started the series I need. I used Evernote for years, but I didn’t like the 2 device limite in the free tier. I moved to Apple Notes but I realized how much I captured in EN. I then tried Notion, and I like it but I spend too much time trying to build how I’d show and track information. Looks like I’ll end-up going back to EN. It naturally felt the right choice.

[@toucan7433]

Hahah the same for me. I came back to Evernote.

[@jimdimitroff6197]

I maybe in the same boat. Trying to like Obsidian and Notion, but Evernote just seems so much easier to use to me.

[@staciegelhar3163]

Student -- I have loads of short term interests, along with long term hobbies, projects, goals, etc. I use Evernote and the P.A.R.A system for my capture, but the breadth of topic and interests shifts (all in my Resources section which is HUGE) and use the find options and tags for the organic pieces. This was excellent.

[@toolfinderhq]

LOVE the approach Tiago. Brilliant note about the company ethos. If you're staring at a note app every single day, it's important to feel comfortable with the company! Francesco :)

[@TiagoForte]

Yup, people think company is less important than the app itself, but stability, community of peers, ability to get support, philosophy around update speeds, number of content creators, core focus (security, teams-vs-individuals), and company longevity are all factors if you're going to be using an app for 2+ years

[@coreylevine5348]

@@TiagoForte I love this entire video Tiago. It’s a great approach and helping me solve a big decision in my own life. QQ - knowing we are both Librarians and use Evernote, what about Evernote from a company ethos (given their current issues and slow updates) keep you on the platform?

[@aarez_a]

>Architect(systems) -clear system and everything designed for practicality, function, and aesthetics -systems mindset (like thomas frank) -notion best >Gardener(explore) -imagination, and ideas -epxloriatary apprach -making connection -obsidian best >Library(research) -collect, categorizing, and combining and sharing with others. -research approach -evernote >Student(just learing)

[@AlleighB]

I am 100% a student. So much on my plate at any given moment.

[@TiagoForte]

Almost all of us are most of the time (Especially parents and actual students)

[@abbyzhan7046]

I like the philosophy of how to choose the right apps. The holistic view on getting to know the app culture is much more beneficial to me than just throwing me a bunch of steps of how to use this and that. Thanks a lot!!

[@connectingjeri7465]

I definitely relate to the architect archetype. I have been using Evernote as a filing cabinet for my paperless home office for years and years, but I never tried to use it for projects or managing my day to day life. I am so attracted to Notion. I will invest some time trying to learn it.

[@savio.silvestre]

I’m a student and my favorite app for note taking is notability without a doubt. It makes notetaking so simple and direct. I LOVE IT

[@jaredsanchez2027]

i find that when i’m in the initial phases of things as a student i go with apple notes and good notes. eventually i merge it all into evernote.

[@marekkrzysztofiak2583]

I didn't know my goal when I started developing my SB. I found it out rather after some time. In my opinion, it is that's not necessarily the first step. Just like in some sports: new perspectives rise when you develop some of your skills first, and you cannot change this order.

[@lebe-weise]

I'm definitely an architect who is surprisingly leaning into the gardener. Now I finally know, why I never made the cut with Evernote! I also will explore Obsidian, because I find Roam quite pricey which might be one reason for Obsidian rising... Thank you, Tiago, you're the best!

[@Taskade]

Beautiful review and solid comparison! We have many exciting improvements coming soon to Taskade's outliner and note-taking features, stay tuned!

[@Mikask8]

I'm a student. Totally. I resonated with all (Architect, Gardener, Librarian) As a teacher, I always try to keep knowledge organized, simple and clear to share with my students. As a musician, I need to be very creative and connect dots that are not so obvious. And as a nerd who loves to learn, I need to have a nice archive of information that is accessible and easy to manage. I wish Tiago were my dad.

[@dalestoica8628]

Thank you for this video. I have recently been intrigued by Obsidian, but it just rubs me the wrong way. Turns out I am a Librarian and Evernote's ability to capture everything is the most important thing to me.

[@sharon2436]

I think I am a Student first and a mild Librarian. Most of my notes are short bursts of information that I need for a short time. But, I also have things in my notes that have been there for years that I do refer back to from time to time. Manuals, annual gardening notes, receipts for major appliances. I have tried just about every note taking app there is and I keep finding myself coming back to Apple Notes. It’s simple, it does the job, it goes with me wherever I go on my phone or on my iPad. Since I bought my first iPad in 2010, it has always been named The Brain. With all the years of Mom Brain and now menopause brain fog, I’d be lost without it. My notes app is probably the 3rd most used app on my iPad behind the web browser for work and slack for work communication. Now that Slack has canvases, I am slowly moving all the “work” content from my Apple Notes to Slack Canvases where it is used all the time anyway. I’m rather excited to soon have Apple Notes just for my personal life. It will go a long way to help define the boundary between work and personal time.

[@alanmead3338]

Tiago, this is fantastic. I downloaded the book from Audible two days ago and can't stop thinking about everything it says (so far - only a third of the way through!) but when you described and summed up my current frustrations, confusion, ambitions and hopes to get myself better organised, you had me. This has been on my To Do list for more years than I care to admit and now all of a sudden it feels achieveable. At the moment, I think I'm a Librarian/Student with Architect tendancies. I have used Evernote badly for many years, juggling that with Gmail, BuJo, Apple Notes, post its and reams of scribbled notes that I rarely refer back to. So i reckon I'll go with Evernote for now and see how it all unfolds, althogh my children are strong Notion advocates and Id love to get to know it. Most importantly though, I'm going to allow myself the luxury of time to engage with my Second Brain and not rush it all as I usually do. Wish me luck on my journey and thanks!

[@rmroberts94]

You just described my exact thoughts about all of this down to a T. That was weird to read from someone else! lol Could have written it word for word myself.

[@peggyodonnell7974]

I second Rachel - although last year I committed totally to Evernote - decided to just pick one, commit to it and as EN was relaunching the whole product it was a good time to do so. I have spent the last year getting up to speed on it and after reading BASB feel this is the next step. I immediately identified with Librarian (no surprise as I have an MSc in Library & Info Science LOL) but am a wanna be gardener....am hoping I will evolve into being more able to make interesting and new connections - sort of like when you browse a bricks & mortar library and serendipitously find something new and exciting ; ) but first: Master the basics and maintain consistent practices

[@dianeboylan4243]

Thank you, Tiago, for an incredibly clear and concise approach to deciding which note taking app to use. I'm sure it saved me hours of research and helped me avoid wasting money.

[@HopefulMessenger]

I definitely identify with the the student/hybrid approach. I'm a student but also need flexibility because I use a wide array of means to accomplish what I need. I'm currently looking for a way to better curate my process and apps to create a longstanding repository of the information I learn, goals I set, projects I plan, etc. Something that's been really helpful for me is the Concepts app. Its primarily a vector-graphic and design tool, but it has an infinite canvas. In the past I used 8.5x11" blank paper as a means to group notes I was taking, to-do's, etc. and they served as a sort of analogue comparison to Notion's blocks/pages, but weren't infinitely scaling or connected (closer to what a poster board would be). However, blank paper always gave me the flexibility to make notes in bullet form, check boxes, concept maps, drawings/diagrams, etc. Concepts serves this role for me now, and it has been a helpful tool alongside apps like Notability and my phone's notes app.

[@wrockage]

neat! sounds really cool! thanks for sharing that.

[@smaaahen]

This is so helpful ! I’m still figuring out if I’m an architect or librarian, but this helps me so much to understand how I’m taking notes, cause I’m literally in the « overwhelm » state ! Thank you !

[@ErikArvedson]

I think the tools we use also influence the way we work and think. I've been using Evernote since 2009 - and seeing this video makes me feel like I have been nudged into the Librarian style, at least partly by the way that app has always worked. And I haven't really considered any other way of working. But the Gardener style and what I see from Obsidian really resonates with me now - and shows exactly the things I'm struggling to do with Evernote...

[@jaredsanchez2027]

yeah. evernote almost felt like it boxed me in. i still love it. i’ve transitioned to notion a lot. and only use evernote for specific cases and my library of info.

[@lynneluvah]

It was the same for me. Used Evernote for many years but no longer needed a Swiss Army Knife so now I use WorkFlowy.

[@user-yv6xw7ns3o]

As others have already commented, I absolutely don’t stick to just one archetype of note taking. I do what is relevant at the time. Am I investigating an interest or a technical research topic? Am I doing brainstorming or dreaming? Do I have a project to design or am I organizing and reorganizing my approach to something new or old? So many completely different kinds of note taking and strategies of organizing information, that’s my personal experience recording and generating information. For comedy and a valuable endeavor of its own I do have a list that I titled “The Infinite List” and I put anything there at all. That’s definitely in the gardening and library side of things.

[@VeronicaSteele]

I’m definitely a Librarian and Student! Thanks to security restraints at work, I get to have two second brain systems. For personal, I love Evernote. For work, my only option is OneNote. I’ve made it work and I don’t mind the separate systems now that I’ve been able to identify what apps to use and manage.

[@MStraw]

I'm so glad you said that! I feel like both the Librarian and Student resonate with me (with a dash of Gardner). I'm at a point of transition and am currently using a mash-up of NotePlan and Obsidian. I think I've been building my systems around what others describe as "best", though, and haven't quite found the right one for me.

[@1AmGroot]

As a student starting their first year of uni next month, I think I know which style I fall into :)

[@trentdpt]

From your descriptions of these it makes me think that i'm a Librarian, but I enjoy the "fun" of Obsidian. It resonates with me the same way Visual Studios does with coding or when Superhuman designers talked about Game Design. How one of their 7 principles was to make it a fun toy to use. I wonder if the friction I do have sometimes in its use is that it doesnt fully fit my personality. Interesting video. Thanks

[@TiagoForte]

The reality is that specific app recommendations are stereotypes based on the "default state" of the app. Most modern notes apps are flexible enough to accommodate many styles with tweaks, even if they aren't that way out of the box

[@TiagoForte]

Knowing your own mind and notetaking practice is more important than the app, as the app is an extension of your mind

[@AKS9]

What’s this superhuman game design? Is it a guide to game design?

[@trentdpt]

@@AKS9 so there was an interview that Rahul Vohra, who I believe was a founder of the Superhuman email app gave on Game Design. Here are the 7 principles of game design he talked about 1. Create concrete, achievable and rewarding goals 2. Design for nuanced emotion 3. Create rapid and robust controls 4. Make fun toys and combine them into games 5. Make the next action obvious 6. Give clear and immediate feedback with no distraction 7. Balance high perceived skill with high perceived challenge He talks about five factors in a separate talk: Goals, Emotions, Controls, Toys, Flow State. Hope that all helps!

[@AKS9]

@@trentdpt wonderful, thanks for the info!

[@niksweeney5859]

I believe I'm the awkward type which identifies with Architect and Librarian. I do a lot of research and delve deep for information; the rabbit hole is my friend, especially as a historian and current Masters student. But I also need the best system to store, showcase, and categorise it because I am a little paranoid about losing information through user or software fault as a librarian. This is why I love Notion so much, I only started using it two weeks ago, and it is the first thing I open as I load my computer. The customisability and the pages-within-pages are what suits both of my note-taking identities. After watching this, I will keep my mind open to other note-taking software compatible with what I already have. Thanks for a great video!

[@utkrshm]

Thanks for identifying the different types of notetakers, but I feel as though I resonate strongly with all the types. I've tried using Notion, Obsidian, Google Keep and Evernote, and I have different use cases for all of them. I use Notion to manage projects, make beautiful and systemed documents, Google Keep for managing some to-dos, Evernote to make handwritten notes and link pages, and Obsidian if I want a hive-like representation of my notes. All in all, I love all these apps, and they're great recommendations! Although I think I prefer Clover and Notability more to Notion and Evernote.

[@brownmasao]

OMG THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE STUDENT ARCHETYPE. I was always drawn to notion through Thomas Frank, even bought his template but never really used it strongly. As the months went by, I always defaulted back to my google keep notes. quick, easy structure, accessable from all my end-devices. Finally hearing you mentioning that some people are drawn to all archetypes or non...saying some people needed it simpler, I heart skipped a beat. THANKS SO MUCH. I am going to rebuild my system into google keeps

[@GarryBurgess]

I'm torn. I'm definitely a student notetaker, probably because I've spent so many years taking notes, but I also love the idea of Obsidian, and the gardener archetype. So although I use Apple Notes and Notability, I now also use Obsidian to fill that need too. I don't want to give up Apple Notes or Notability.

[@TiagoForte]

That's fine, use multiple if you like! It's just a heuristic to be able to start using one

[@FilipeBranth]

I watched it at the google popup, and came here just to leave my like and subscribe. Too useful and well contextualized to just let it pass by.

[@marshallwalls3576]

I have heard of the three archetypes before, but I honestly felt I've never really fallen into any category. However, I would describe myself as a student. My serious note-taking journey began three years ago in law school with OneNote. After my first year, I started looking for a serious application to store my knowledge for the Bar Exam. Bouncing around from note-taking app to note-taking app has been exhausting. I finally settled on Apple Notes for my capture and Obsidian for my long-term storage. Thank you for this series. I look forward to the coming episodes.

[@TiagoForte]

🙏 Glad you've found an approach that works for you. Well done

[@Fnantier]

Same for me. I didn't resonate with one archetype *strongly* more than the other the first, though I friendly lean architect. I also settled on Obsidian for primary BASB app and Some Not for quick / temporary storage and lighter things. Also use Notion but not for projects, especially collaborative, not to throw a lot of resource information into.

[@aida087]

Hello Tiago and OMYGOD SO happy I happened to luck out on this video!! I'm currently an undergraduate in college and my note taking no matter how much I try is HORRIBLE lol!! I tend to have scribbled notes, several notebooks with notes, notes on index cards, post-its etc., and it's been this way for years and has driven me crazy!! I don't know if you could call it ADHD but I've struggled with note taking and keeping it all in one, or even two places permanently!! I've used Evernote for years and then just stopped relying on it!! And I do believe that I'm more of a gardener/student so I'm TRULY hoping that I can FINALLY, bring myself to stop this note taking madness once and for all with your very insightful videos, bless you Sir!!😊🙏🙏

[@dsuthapong]

Always Love your videos 😍 I’m not sure if it’s more about archetypes or objectives. For example, I’m an “architect” personality but since the goal of my second brain is to connect ideas, I use obsidian.

[@stevebianchi]

Same here, Darin -- and I am a big fan of YOUR channel and videos. Keep them coming!

[@TiagoForte]

Beautifully said

[@patrick_now_or_never]

My thoughts exactly

[@dsuthapong]

@@stevebianchi Thank you so much Steve 🙏🏻

[@tonykolstee1381]

Good point, and one I was thinking about while watching as well. I think my strength is as a Librarian when TAKING notes, but I use Obsidian to help surface connections (gardener) and to allow me to build automated, customized structures (Architect) when I'm USING my notes. As mentioned by @nareck, I also like the price tag (I pay for both commercial and catalyst tiers as well as Sync so it's not free for me), local vaults, standard format of Markdown, and community.

[@snasca]

Now Evernote charge to have more than one notebook.. We need an alternative (free), as simple and powerful like evernote.

[@carlosr6597]

After using Evernote for 11 years, I switched over to Nimbus note. So much better. You can set any image in the note as a preview any time, and you can have more than 1 subfolder. Those who have been frustrated with Evernote knows what I'm talking about.

[@CodyHatch24]

I'm definitely a Librarian, which explains why Evernote was my go-to for years. But with recent changes to pay tiers I went from a beta tester with all the latest features and widgets to having most of them removed because the tier I had been paying for the last 10 years became the lowest tier. I've struggled moving to Notion

[@singularityraptor4022]

Thats rough man, hope you find your app

[@lgreen666]

as librarian i was never happier than moving from evernote to Devonthink for the library, muse for thought and drafts for actual notes - always interesting videos - cheers

[@naziraheveryday]

I love this series! Thanks Tiego and team. Is there by any chance a set of quiz that we can take to better determine which archetype best describes us?

[@ilynn9794]

when you looked at the run through of the differfent apps, where there any that made you want to look more? or were there any that you were like ew? i know the notion run through i said no wayyyyy i am not doing that

[@JH-no8sy]

I am definitely a librarian. My main strengths are Intellection and Input, and I have a vast number of interests and projects that I work on daily. All of my research revolves around my interests and hobbies or things that have randomly inspired me. I am constantly acquiring new information. However, it’s gotten a bit out of hand with the amount of info that I have that I’m not actively engaging with at the moment, and since I have a pathological need to learn new things, here I am trying to finally build my own personal knowledge base to do it more efficiently.

[@usksxg13]

Find the archetypes interesting as I resonate both with Architect and Gardener. I’ve used electronic mind mapping programs for 20 years so the idea of building connections like Obsidian sound intriguing. Similarly, for the last 6 years I’ve built a system in Airtable (relational database) that allows me to catalog the books I read, capture the notes from those books, and write my commentary on the notes for better learning. Lately, I’ve started inserting links between similar books in the database. That last piece sounds more gardener perhaps?

[@FernandoCoelhoMS]

Sensacional a clareza, a objetividade. Agradeço, pelo excelente trabalho.

[@Kristina_158]

This video was very eye opening and interesting to watch, thanks Tiago + team! I always thought I was an Architect, but now I think I might be more of a Librarian and Student. I have forced myself to use Notion and set up systems in it for roughly 1.5 Years, but end up using Apple notes or Word because Notion is too complicated for me. Definitely checking out Evernote in the future! My current note taking system contains Good notes for lecture notes, many random word documents/apple notes and a good old hardcover notebook for tasks. Also thank you a lot for all the useful stuff (this channel, your blog and the Second Brain Summit in March) you and your team put out here for free! Your service is gladly appreciated.

[@AlexSimmonsSays]

Eye opening in several ways. Thank you. I'm not sure which of these two I most identify with, but I'm intrigued with both Librarian and Student.

[@aryansawhney]

Absolutely love the video! One slightly humurous error in the video was at 2:34 where you posted a screengrab of Logseq with the label of Obsidian 😅 Excellent and informative video nonetheless!

[@TiagoForte]

😔 I can't believe we did Logseq dirty like this

[@cris-amv]

Great video Tiago! Although I definitely have a bit of every archetype, I’m currently more on the Gardener side. And Obsidian is my tool.

[@TiagoForte]

This is the best way to think of the archetypes (overall tendencies based on most important notes goals)

[@Griesinho]

I'm a gardener with a portion of student... started using Obsidian a few months ago without knowing about these archetypes. And Obsidian resonates with me and my way of note taking. btw.: I've setup an Owncloud server and save my Obsidian files there, so it's accessible on MacBook and iPhone

[@SanathKumarNaibhi]

Excited and looking forward to your book Tiago! I hope there's more deep value in it than the KZbin videos we've already watched regarding building the second brain and the course that's out of budget. I use Notion, OneNote, and recently Obsidian too. I need Notion because of its table view database feature where I can store my music notes (a lot of them), and manage my violin student's info. OneNote is my main note-taking app. Don't know when an insight or an idea strikes, have to jot them down super quickly. Notion is too slow for that. Obsidian is something I'm trying out recently, mainly to try to see my second brain with all its connections (at least primary connections).

[@SanghPath]

Mmm...i think single app solution will be a dream

[@GeeklingNo1]

I am both a student (literally I graduate in may 2025) and a librarian. knowing that I am excited because I'm going to try using xtiles (a notion alternative) and apple notes which is super easy for me to work with. I was using good notes and it works well if you want a more traditional 'handwritten' feel to your notes but I think I'll leave it for crafting rather than note taking

[@DannyHatcherTech]

You have Roam Research Broll marked with Obsidian at 2:35 I don't agree with the 3 categories as all archetypes have all elements with varying degrees that change with the environment in my mind. Adding a student as an archetype seems like a 'get out' to escape the boxes. We are all learners so would fit in the box appropriate for the context. The apps you suggest for students certainly don't work for me as they are far too simple with their features and as a PhD student, I actively avoid those apps. However, those simple apps seem to work well with everyday 'general population' users. A video that I am sure will spark debate and conversation 😁

[@DannyHatcherTech]

@@TiagoForte Yeah I thought that was the case. I am curious how a student mindset differs from a gardener? I have been an Obsidian user for over a year now and used Notion for 3+ years before hand. My YT channel has a few videos covering my process 😁😁

[@DannyHatcherTech]

That sounds like either a very narrow-minded or novice student looking to expand, or a student with only one project in mind at a time. What about the time in between, and the students that have more than one project? This also implies gardeners don't have a starting worldview, direction or outcome in mind which I don't think is your intention but is what is implied.

[@TiagoForte]

😇 excited to see what others think (hopefully the previous comments show up again - we just pushed the channel to a brand account and it might have deleted all my old comments!)

[@DannyHatcherTech]

@@TiagoForte all comments should remain the same and I don't see a difference. I look forward to hearing the opinions of others.

[@Komatik_]

@@TiagoForte I don't see them for what it's worth. Only Danny's side of the exchange is visible.

[@Reznik88]

I am an architectural librarian gardener

[@Joooooooooooooj]

Your content is amazing!!! Thanks for all the help, i identify myself as a student for now and it fells amazing to take things out of my head, really greatfull for that

[@robcastro9025]

I think I’m a librarian that cosplays as an architect. It’s not wonder that I use Evernote and notion. Great video! I have been thinking of playing around with roam for the bidirectional linking but from what I understand notion is developing that feature so maybe there is not need.

[@jaredsanchez2027]

i think motion has the bidirectional linking now. it’s really good. but not as mapped out as obsidian or roam

[@tiffanylbacon]

I'm definitely a Librarian. I just came across BASB and can't believe it but I have been doing this in my way for years albeit in a disorganized fashion. I'm looking forward to organizing from this point forward.

[@anthonyparker3713]

I enjoy Craft.

[@TiagoForte]

Definitely will mention Craft more in the upcoming 2 chapters

[@jochenkalkbrenner]

@@TiagoForte would love to hear more about craft!! Thank u for your work!

[@crystal-f9y]

I identify most with the Architect and Milanote is perfect. It’s what I’ve been looking for for a while. I tried several others but Milanote is the perfect fit.

[@AkiniJames]

I'm suprised Onenote doesn't get a serious mention although it was in one of the video excerpts

[@TiagoForte]

Yeah, this was a mistake relative to the amount we recommend it; we should have given more coverage as it's a fantastic Librarian app It is a recommendation in the vid description 👍

[@martinsolomon7819]

I'm a librarian but I use Notion because I have a lot of things to look: my business, my clients, my tasks, the books I've read, etc. And Notion is the best app for it.

[@zeltwood...]

You look like AI generated Elon Musk

[@virginiawood151]

I'm totally a librarian--I'm an information hoarder. Also a notebook person, and Evernote conceptualizes it's organizational structure as notebooks so that works perfectly for me.

Omg this video has answered the question that I had about why everyone on KZbin loves Notion for for me was to much to start. I identify as a librarian, want to save everything with a good enough structure and then search it later

[@javierdiez5136]

I have used Evernote since 2016, and it's the only app that has ever stuck. Now I know why! Librarian spirit all the way hahaha 💪

[@VMSelvaggio]

I am definitely a cross between Librarian and Gardener, I like to think I am more organized than being a Gardener, but I am not organized enough to consider myself an Architect. I definitely am an explorer and a catalog maker of my own D&D world.

[@HarmonicaMustang]

I'm most definitely a librarian. I work in IT and, like a GP/family doctor, I need to know something about everything. I maintain and repair systems that can have uncommon idiosyncrasies, and an obscure fix to a problem can be easily lost in memory when I move on to the next one. I needed a knowledge base where I can quickly note down and retrieve a process as soon as I hit that "I've done this before" moment. I ended up using Obsidian, because note-taking is very fast, the search is even faster, and I can categorise my notes by tags to build relationships between the solutions (as they're quite interconnected). One of my favourite features of Obsidian is the graph view, where I can visualize the 'populations' of tags, and spot topics that I haven't explored as much (thus finding holes in my knowledge). Referencing other notes is also a neat way of getting definitions and examples where I need a reminder (I'm learning C# so this is especially helpful).

[@geek_peek]

I'm a software engineer who is also a creator on KZbin and a writer on my blog. I have never built a second brain before, but now I reached a point where I think it's necessary. I'm conflicted between the Librarian and Student archetypes. Because I do find myself using Apple Notes for quick and dirty note-taking, but I also yearn for some order and actually finding the stuff that I jot down later (which does not always work out for me). I hope this series of videos will help me get started :)

[@danielvickery1233]

Already subscribed. But I added this video to my public Productivity playlist because it was instrumental in helping me choose my main note taking app. Probably will still be experimenting with other apps, but I feel confident based on the information you provide that I made the best decision.

[@jimbutz-businessgrowthment1398]

So glad I picked up a copy of Tiago's book. The amount of information I encounter is overwhelming me and I needed to find a solution. After looking at the video, I concluded that I best fit into the Librarian.

[@bashfoal]

I've used each of the recommended apps at different times in my life, so I guess from an overall perspective, I'm a student of life! I started with Evernote when it was new, got priced out of it and switched to Notion. Then when I got my first iPhone and spent more time away from my computer, I switched to Apple Notes. Now as I'm switching to doing more writing alone from home again, I've taken up Obsidian. I really think these distinctions work well when I think about the kinds of projects I was doing and note-taking I was doing throughout the years.

[@DigitalBrooke]

I have adhd and the ‘tism so I am legit ALL of these. Hence why I’m here. I’m a hot mess of dumps, bits, paragraphs, links, purchases, to-do lists, project management, brainstorms and gobs more. It can change day to day too.

[@DesirBoyz]

"Student" resonates with my general personality/learning orientation. **When I'm on my game in life,** I operate well with a Gardener-to-Architect project pipeline for work + school, Librarian systems for watching/enjoying content and learning materials (even for hobbies)- often with platform-specific information silos and categories/ratings scales, and a mix of all 3 for personal development, self-care, and life planning activities.

[@marcoaureliorocca]

Wow, thank you so much! I have JUST came to know NOTION and I was in love of it as well as drowning... Now I realize there's still much to learn! THANK YOU!

[@MosnoAlMoseeki]

I feel like a Librarian, using an Architect's system (Notion). This was helpful, and explained to me why I used EverNote for YEARS!. Thank you.

[@rathorrath401]

Librarian/student. Just set up my apple notes with PARA. Will be trying this for 3 months. Wish me luck!

[@NathanHoang]

Wow.. thank you so much 🙏🏼 3/4 of the video and i was like “i’m a lost cause since i dont resonate with any of these archetype” but then Tiago said there is a 4th archetype !!! Everything just clicked…i’m definitely a Student. Great content Tiago 🙏🏼🙌

[@TiagoForte]

Thank you!

[@dwicahyoprasetyo4351]

as a librarian in a developing country, I really love this video. Thank you for sharing, Tiago.

[@stevemcclure2879]

OMG I'm an SO The Librarian!! What an unexpected gem of a video. I didn't realize there were other people like me in the world :). I flip flop between Evernote and OneNote. I really like that I can have multiple notebooks with OneNote and keep things separate. I think overall Evernote is a better product, particularly considering their new upgrade. I use the scan feature on my phone with Evernote. It BY FAR has the best clipping capabilities!

[@gonzalo7629]

Excellent video in 8 minutes. Very useful and effective. Thanks!