---
aliases: ["Building a Second Brain"]
Is A: Note
Author: "Tiago Forte"
Topics: ["[[topic-productivity-systems]]"]
URL: "https://example.com/second-brain"
---
# Building a Second Brain
*Tiago Forte*

Forte's BASB methodology centers on the CODE framework: Capture interesting ideas, Organize them for actionability, Distill notes down to their essence, and Express what you know through creative output. The underlying philosophy is that our brains are for having ideas, not storing them, and that an external system (a "second brain") lets us offload the storage function so we can focus on the thinking function. For anyone managing a content business, this is directly relevant -- a well-maintained knowledge system reduces the friction between learning and publishing, making it easier to turn reading and research into newsletter content.

Where I diverge from Forte is his emphasis on organizing by projects. The PARA system (Projects, Areas, Resources, Archive) is practical for task management, but it creates an inherently transient structure. When a project ends, the notes associated with it become orphans. For a knowledge worker whose primary output is writing and thinking, I find an evergreen-notes approach more durable: notes organized by concept rather than by project, linked associatively rather than filed hierarchically. That said, Forte's emphasis on progressive summarization -- layering highlights on top of highlights to distill notes over time -- is genuinely useful regardless of your organizational scheme.

The most actionable insight from the book is the idea of "intermediate packets": discrete, reusable chunks of work (outlines, research summaries, drafted paragraphs) that can be assembled into larger outputs. This maps perfectly to how I write my newsletter. Rather than starting each edition from scratch, I draw on a library of notes, highlights, and half-formed ideas that I have accumulated throughout the week. The intermediate packet concept also helps with the psychological burden of creating: you are never starting from zero, only assembling and refining existing pieces.

## Key takeaways

- The CODE framework (Capture, Organize, Distill, Express) provides a clear pipeline from information consumption to creative output
- Progressive summarization (layered highlighting) helps you distill notes without losing context
- Intermediate packets -- reusable chunks of work -- dramatically reduce the cost of producing new content
- PARA (Projects, Areas, Resources, Archive) is a practical organizational system, though it biases toward short-term project work over long-term knowledge building
- Your second brain should be organized for actionability, not for completeness -- store what you will use, not everything you encounter
- The value of a note system is realized only when you express what you know -- capturing without creating is just hoarding

## How I apply this

- My vault is essentially a second brain, but I use an evergreen-notes structure rather than PARA. Each concept gets its own note, linked to related ideas, and I revisit and refine them regularly. This gives me a durable knowledge base that survives project changes.
- I practice progressive summarization on book highlights: first pass captures everything interesting, second pass bolds the key points, third pass extracts the core insight into my own words. This is how most of my book notes end up in this vault.
- The intermediate packets idea directly shapes my newsletter workflow. Throughout the week, I capture observations, half-formed arguments, and interesting data points. By the time I sit down to write on Thursday, I am assembling rather than inventing.

## Related

- [[knowledge-management-is-not-filing]]
- [[the-compound-effect-in-knowledge-work]]
- [[reading-more-by-reading-better]]
- [[writing-for-clarity-vs-writing-for-credit]]
- [[note-on-writing-well]]
- [[note-deep-work]]
- [[note-show-your-work]]
- [[topic-productivity-systems]]
- [[procedure-evergreen-note-writing]]
- [[procedure-weekly-reading-session]]
