The Making of a Bestseller: A Behind-The-Scenes Look at the Creation of Building a Second Brain
Tiago Forte, creator of Building a Second Brain , argues that a knowledge system isn’t about hoarding information; it’s about making it useful. His C.O.D.E. framework (Capture, Organize, Distill, Express) breaks this down:
- Capture the ideas and insights that spark your interest. A sticky note, a voice memo, or an app like Notion—whatever works.
- Org
How to Build a Personal Knowledge System That Fuels Your Creativity
“CODE”—Capture; Organize; Distill; Express.
Tiago Forte • Building a Second Brain: A Proven Method to Organize Your Digital Life and Unlock Your Creative Potential
This order gives us a convenient checklist for deciding where to put a note, starting at the top of the list and moving down: In which project will this be most useful? If none: In which area will this be most useful? If none: Which resource does this belong to? If none: Place in archives.
Tiago Forte • Building a Second Brain: A Proven Method to Organize Your Digital Life and Unlock Your Creative Potential
I eventually named this organizing system PARA,I which stands for the four main categories of information in our lives: Projects, Areas, Resources, and Archives.