Sébastien Dubois

12 Common Personal Knowledge Management Mistakes (And How to Avoid Them)

How to Build Creative Momentum as a Creator: The Identity Shift

One of the most valuable aspects of PKM for building creative momentum is something very few people talk about: it helps you to shift from passive consumption to active creation.

Without a system, you consume information endlessly. Articles, books, videos, courses. It inspires you, but it all flows through you and disappears. You're a "mere consumer".

The moment you start capturing, processing, and connecting ideas, that changes. You can't truly add something to your knowledge base without thinking about it (unless you're using AI wrong!). You can't link new concepts to existing ones without thinking more deeply about the ideas.

This transforms consumption into creation. Reading becomes idea generation. Learning becomes content development. Your Knowledge Management system makes passive consumption feel fruitless, naturally pushing you toward a more active & engaged stance.

A solid Knowledge system doesn't just organize knowledge. It's a foundation that reinforces the creator identity and sustains momentum.

Common Objections About Creative Momentum and PKM Systems

"But doesn't everyone need rest?"

Yes. But let's be clear about what we're discussing.

There's a fundamental difference between strategic rest within a sustainable system and the extended breaks that destroy momentum. Rest doesn't mean stopping creation for weeks. It means building sustainable daily practices that don't require heroic effort.

The creators who burn out aren't the ones with consistent systems and positive habits. They're the ones who rely on unsustainable hustle because they lack systems. They work harder because they start from scratch every time.

Solid creation and knowledge systems make creation less effortful, not more. The rest you need becomes manageable within your routine, not a momentum-destroying gap.

"What if my PKM system becomes procrastination?"

Some people fall into the trap of endless note-taking and organizing without ever creating. They're building an elaborate system they never actually use for its intended purpose.

The solution isn't to avoid Knowledge Management. It's to maintain focus on what matters: leveraging the knowledge, ideas and insights, turning it all into wisdom (i.e., knowledge turned to action). Your notes exist to serve your creative work, not replace it. Taking notes is not the goal. Creating and sharing ideas is.

Keep in mind that if you're spending more time organizing notes than publishing content, you've lost the plot. The measure of a good knowledge system isn't how organized it is; some level of chaos is actually great for creativity. The real measure is how much it reduces the friction of creating and shipping work.

Check out the following article to learn more about some of the pitfalls to avoid: 12 Common Personal Knowledge Management Mistakes and How to Avoid Them (Article)

Most people fail at Personal Knowledge Management before they even get started — here are the 12 traps to avoid.

"This sounds like a lot of work upfront"

It is. But so is repeatedly starting from scratch because you lack momentum.

You're going to invest time either way. You can invest it upfront building a system that compounds, or you can invest it repeatedly overcoming inertia because you have no system, and end up burned out.

Note that you don't need to build the "perfect" system before seeing benefits. Start simple. Create a single trusted place to capture ideas. Build the habit of linking related concepts. Ship work regularly from your notes. Interstitial Journaling and daily notes in particular is a great starting point for your knowledge management journey.

Understanding the Knowledge Management Proficiency Ladder helps. You don't need to be an expert to benefit from PKM. Even beginners who simply capture and occasionally review their notes see momentum improvements.

The first step is just starting, even if it's messy and imperfect. It's still progress.

How to Recover Creative Momentum After a Break

Momentum will break sometimes. Life happens. You'll slow down to a crawl, or you'll stop creating entirely for a while. The question isn't whether you'll lose momentum, but rather how quickly you can rebuild it.

Here's what works:

Step 1: Lower the bar temporarily. Don't try to resume at full intensity. Start with embarrassingly small actions. Open your notes. Read one entry. Link one idea. Publish one short piece, or even short social media posts. Small actions rebuild the neural pathways of consistent creation.

Step 2: Focus on process, not output. When you resume creating, the goal is not to produce your best work, the to reestablish the habit of showing up and creating. Quality returns naturally once the habit and rhythm are restored.

Step 3: Use public accountability. Share that you're rebuilding momentum. Build in public. The social commitment creates external structure when internal motivation is weak.

Step 4: Reconnect with your why. Review past work. Remember why you started creating. Your knowledge system holds the evidence of your previous momentum. Use it to reignite the fire.

The creators who sustain long-term success aren't the ones who never lose momentum. They're the ones who rebuild it quickly when it breaks.

How to Start Building Creative Momentum Today: 5 Practical Steps

If you're reading this and feeling overwhelmed, start here:

Step 1: Choose one trusted system for all your notes. Stop tool-hopping. Pick a single place for your notes. I strongly believe that Obsidian is the best choice for creators building for the long term (reasons: Why Obsidian is All You Need - From Simple Notes to Complete Productivity (Article)), but the most important thing is choosing something and committing to it. Your goal is to create a Single Source of Truth (SSOT) for your creative work.

Step 2: Build the capture habit. For the next week, just capture ideas as they come. Don't worry about organization. Don't worry about perfection. Train your brain that interesting ideas go into your system. If you need concrete guidance, review What a capture system looks like to learn more.

Step 3: Start linking related ideas. When you capture something new, ask: "What does this connect to?" Link it to one related note. Just one. This builds the habit of thinking in connections. Check this other article to learn more: How to connect ideas.

Step 4: Create and publish from your notes (Week 3). Pick one idea in your system. Elaborate on it. Publish it. Don't overthink it. Don't aim for perfection. Hit "Publish" sooner than you're comfortable to. Experience the reduced friction of creating from existing material rather than from scratch.

Step 5: Repeat daily and maintain consistency (Ongoing). Momentum isn't built through intensity. It's built through consistency. Show up every day, even if just for 15 minutes. Trust the compound effect. Each day's work feeds into the next, creating exponential growth over time.

That's it. You don't need a complex system. You don't need advanced techniques. You need to start simple and maintain consistency. The rest can come later.

Common Questions About Creative Momentum

What is creative momentum?

Creative momentum is the principle that creativity builds on itself. Once you start creating consistently, it becomes progressively easier to continue.

Inspiration follows action, not the other way around. Momentum creates inspiration

Regular creative practice maintains a generative mental state, completed work inspires subsequent ideas, and resistance-overcoming becomes an established habit. The reverse is equally true: extended breaks from creating make restarting progressively more difficult.

Why do I lose creative momentum so easily?

Creative momentum is fragile because it depends on neural pathways that weaken quickly without use. Even a 3-5 day gap can make restarting feel significantly harder. The primary momentum killers are: waiting for inspiration instead of creating on schedule, perfectionism that prevents publishing, context switching between scattered tools, and lack of systems to reduce decision fatigue. This is exactly why You need a capture system and a larger Knowledge Management system. It protects against the most common momentum destroyer: forgetting ideas and losing creative material.

How do I maintain creative momentum without burning out?

Sustainable creative momentum comes from consistent small actions, not heroic effort. Building a Knowledge Management system helps a ton.

Also, focus on shipping "good enough" work regularly rather than perfect pieces occasionally.

Importantly, create daily routines that eliminate decision fatigue. Habits make everything easier.

Last but not least, focus on building a sustainable system. It's not about "hard work"; it's about working smart while respecting your body and your mental health, etc. Rest is also key.

What's the fastest way to regain creative momentum after a break?

The fastest recovery strategy is to lower your standards temporarily and focus on tiny actions. Don't try to immediately produce your best work. Instead: (1) Open your notes and read one entry, (2) Link one new idea to existing notes, (3) Write for just 10 minutes without publishing, (4) Publish one short, imperfect piece (even a tweet!), (5) Gradually increase intensity. The goal is rebuilding the habit, not immediate output quality. Your existing notes are your best recovery tool.

How does a PKM system help with creative momentum?

A Personal Knowledge Management System (PKMS) helps maintain creative momentum through four mechanisms: (1) Capturing ideas eliminates the anxiety of forgetting insights, freeing mental space for creation, (2) Connected notes automatically surface related ideas (cfr How to connect ideas), providing constant creative fuel, (3) Past work becomes reusable building blocks, (4) Consistent workflows remove decision fatigue about what to create and how to start.

To understand your current Knowledge Management level and where you're heading, explore the Knowledge Management Proficiency Ladder.

Can you have creative momentum without a Knowledge Management system?

Yes, but it's significantly harder to maintain long-term. Without a PKM system, you rely on memory, inspiration, and willpower: inherently unreliable resources.

You face blank pages more often, waste energy on decision-making, and struggle to build on past work. A solid Personal Knowledge Management system doesn't create momentum — consistent action does — but it dramatically reduces the friction that often kills momentum.

What's the difference between creative momentum and motivation?

Motivation is an emotional state that fluctuates based on mood, circumstances, and external factors. Creative momentum is a systematic practice that generates forward motion regardless of how you feel. Motivation asks "Am I inspired to create today?" while Momentum says "I create today because that's what I do.".

Relying on motivation leads to inconsistency. Building momentum through systems leads to sustainable output.

Progress is the engine of motivation

How often should I create to maintain creative momentum?

Daily creation is ideal for maintaining strong momentum, even if just for 15-30 minutes. Consistency matters more than duration. Creating for 20 minutes daily builds more momentum than creating for 4 hours once a week. Regular small actions maintain the neural pathways and generative mental state that make creation feel effortless. That's why I often say that your knowledge management practice should become an integral part of your work. It's also why I consider Interstitial Journaling to be so valuable.

What should I do when I don't know what to create?

This is where a PKM system becomes invaluable. Instead of staring at a blank page wondering what to create, you: (1) Review recent or old notes and follow interesting connections, (2) Look at ideas you've captured but not developed, (3) Identify patterns or themes emerging in your knowledge base, (4) Combine notes to generate new insights.

Think of your notes as LEGO blocks. You can assemble those in countless ways. Your system provides endless starting points, eliminating the paralysis of choice.

Going Further

If you're new to Knowledge Management and want structured guidance on building a system that protects your creative momentum, I created Knowledge Management for Beginners.

Your ultimate video course to mastering Personal Knowledge Management (PKM)

This course walks you through the foundational principles and practical techniques for creating a knowledge system that works for you, not against you. It covers everything you need to know; don't let the name of the course give you the wrong impression. With this course, you'll quickly progress through the Knowledge Management Proficiency Ladder, and you'll finally have a system you can rely on to boost your creative life.

And if you're ready to implement these ideas in Obsidian specifically, the Obsidian Starter Kit gives you a complete, battle-tested vault structure based on years of refinement. It eliminates the overwhelming decisions about how to organize your system, letting you focus on capturing, connecting, and creating.

Both resources are designed to get you building momentum quickly, without the paralysis of trying to create the "perfect" system from scratch.

Regarding full-blown Content Creation systems, I recommend joining the Knowii Community. I'm sharing tons of ideas about that there.

Conclusion

Creative momentum is the compound interest of the creator economy. Small, consistent actions build unstoppable forward motion. But momentum is fragile. It is easily destroyed by waiting for inspiration, perfectionism, hustling, and not capturing/nurturing valuable ideas.

A Personal Knowledge Management system protects momentum by eliminating the friction that kills it. It captures ideas you can build upon. It connects notes to surface insights naturally. It transforms past work into reusable building blocks. It establishes routines that eliminate decision fatigue, so you can use your willpower to create.

Most importantly, it shifts your identity from consumer to creator, making consistent output feel natural rather than forced.

You don't need more talent. You don't need more time. You don't need perfect conditions. You need a system that makes creation easier than procrastination.

Start simple. Start today. Let momentum do the rest.

That's it for today! ✨

The Tag System That Finally Made Sense for Me - From Perfectionism Paralysis to Discovery Freedom

Sebastien Dubois — Mon, 05 Jan 2026 06:32:30 GMT

For years, I wrestled with tags in my knowledge system. I'd spend 10 minutes agonizing over the "perfect" set of tags for a single note, only to later search for #books and get buried in hundreds of results: some actual book notes, most just notes that mentioned books somewhere.

In this article, I want to share the tag system breakthrough that transformed my relationship with my notes and unlocked the true power of my knowledge base.

Introduction

If you're building a knowledge system as a creator, you've probably hit the tag wall. You know tags are supposed to help you find things, but somehow they create more problems than they solve.

Maybe you've tried the minimalist approach; just a handful of carefully chosen tags. Or the opposite, tagging everything with every possible keyword until your tag list looks like alphabet soup. Perhaps you've spent hours designing the "perfect" tag taxonomy, only to abandon it three months later when it stops making sense.

In practice, most tag systems fail not because they're poorly designed, but because they're designed at all.

The tag system that finally worked for me emerged from a simple realization: tags aren't a filing system; they're a discovery system. And once I stopped treating them like folders and started treating them like search tools, my knowledge base improved heavily.

This matters because as creators, our knowledge isn't just something to organize. It's the raw material for everything we create. When you can't find your notes, you can't repurpose them. When your tag queries break, your content pipeline breaks. When you're paralyzed by tag decisions, you're not creating.

TL;DR

I finally built a tag system that works by combining structured type tags with liberal topic tagging. Type tags (isolated under type/) provide the foundation for reliable queries and automation, while freely added topic tags create multiple discovery paths to every note.

Key points:

Type tags really need to be isolated in a namespace (e.g., type/book not just books) to prevent query pollution
Add 5-10 topic tags per note based on gut feeling (no planning required)
More tags paradoxically creates less overwhelm because they create multiple paths to rediscover notes
Tag chaos is better than tag scarcity. you can always clean up later
Habits and common tags emerge naturally over time without upfront design
The system enables powerful workflows: building Obsidian Bases, aggregating research, repurposing content, querying notes, ...
Tag consistency issues can be fixed during periodic reviews. Imperfection is perfectly fine!
Rigid taxonomies fail at scale; emergence beats planning for knowledge work
It's okay to be messy!

The Tag Systems That Failed Me

Let me tell you about my past tag struggles.

I'd create a note about a book I was reading; let's say a book about creativity. Should I tag it #creativity or #books? Both? What about #reading or #learning? I'd sit there, cursor blinking, overthinking a simple decision that should take seconds. Meanwhile, the actual insights from the book? Not captured. Because I was too busy optimizing my tag system.

I believed there was a "right" set of tags for every note. I'd research tagging best practices, study other people's systems, try to design the perfect taxonomy upfront. The result? Decision paralysis every single time I created a note.

I'd search for #books to find my book notes, and I'd get everything and the kitchen sink: meeting notes where someone mentioned a book, articles about books, random thoughts that referenced books. Buried somewhere in those hundreds of results were my actual book notes. The tag that was supposed to help me find things was making them harder to find.

Without clear rules, my tagging was chaos. Sometimes I'd use #meeting, sometimes #meetings. Sometimes #pkm, sometimes #knowledge-management. Every variation split my notes across different tags, making everything harder to find.

I knew tags were supposed to be powerful. I'd seen other people's elegant tag systems. But mine just... didn't work. And I couldn't figure out why.

The Breakthrough: Structure + Freedom

The breakthrough came when I stopped trying to design a perfect tag system and instead asked: What job do my tags actually need to do?

Two jobs, I realized:

Structural job: Identify what TYPE of note this is (book, meeting, article, project, etc.)
Discovery job: Create multiple paths to rediscover this note later

And the most important takeaway is that these jobs need different approaches.

The Type Tag Foundation

I started isolating my type tags under a type/ namespace:

type/book instead of just books
type/meeting instead of just meeting
type/article instead of just article
type/project instead of just project

Now when I search for #type/book, I get ONLY my book notes. When I search for #books (without the type prefix), I get everything related to books, which is sometimes exactly what I want.

This became crucial for two workflows:

Building Obsidian Bases: When I want to create a Base containing only my book notes, the query #type/book is rock-solid reliable. It won't break when I reorganize folders or change my structure.
Automation and workflows: Type tags enable automation. They power auto-filing, template selection, dashboard views, querying, and a ton more. Because they're consistent and isolated, they never create false positives.

If you're interested in how Obsidian Bases work and how they can transform your workflow, then check out my Obsidian Starter Kit. It includes first-class support for those, with many included Bases.

Jump straight to stress-free note-making with Obsidian

The Liberal Tagging Freedom

For topic tags — everything that's not a type tag — I made a radical shift. I stopped planning. I stopped optimizing. I just... tagged.

When I write or update a note, I add whatever tags come to mind. Usually 5-10 tags per note. No deliberation. No "is this the perfect tag?" Just gut feeling, habits and moving on.

Writing about a book on creativity? Tags might include:
#creativity #books #reading #innovation #ideas #thinking #psychology #art #writing

Some of these might overlap. Some might be redundant. Some might never get used again. And that's completely fine.

When you tag information, don't look for the one perfect tag. Instead, add as many relevant keywords as you can. Those are pathways for you to stumble upon this note later

Why This Works (Even Though It Seems Wrong)

Here's what's counterintuitive about this approach:

More Tags = Less Overwhelm

You'd think adding 5-10 tags per note would create chaos. But the opposite happened.

When I was trying to find the "perfect" 2-3 tags, every tag decision felt heavy. Critical. Wrong tags meant losing the note forever. That pressure created paralysis.

With 5-10 tags? Each individual tag matters less. The pressure drops. I tag and move on. The act of tagging becomes effortless because no single tag has to be perfect.

Consider tags as breadcrumbs. Leave enough to find your way

Tag Redundancy Is Good

Traditional advice says eliminate redundant tags. Don't use both #writing and #content-creation, pick one!

But redundancy creates resilience.

When I'm searching for notes about writing, I don't remember if I used #writing or #content-creation or #content or #creating. But if I tagged liberally with whatever came to mind, at least one of those tags will be there. Multiple tags create multiple paths to the same note.

Each tag and link you add to a note adds a path to resurface that note later on

Tags Emerge, They Don't Get Designed

I don't plan my tag taxonomy anymore. I just tag based on gut feeling. Habits emerge naturally.

After tagging notes for a few months, I notice I keep using certain tags. Those become my "common tags". The ones that proved useful through actual use, not theoretical planning. Meanwhile, tags I rarely use just fade away. The system self-regulates.

This is knowledge management as emergence rather than planning. And emergence scales where rigid plans fail.

Tags Are for Future-You

Current-me doesn't need tags. I just wrote the note. I know what's in it.

Tags are for future-me, six months from now, trying to find that brilliant insight about creativity I captured from some book I can't quite remember.

I'm not tagging to organize files. I'm tagging to create breadcrumbs for future discovery. I'm leaving multiple paths for future-me to stumble upon this note when they need it.

How It Works in Practice

Let me show you how this plays out in actual creation workflows.

Research Aggregation Across Note Types

I'm writing an article about content creation systems. I need to gather all my relevant notes. But those notes are scattered across different types:

Book notes: #type/book AND #content-creation
Meeting notes with clients: #type/meeting AND #content-creation
Personal insights: #type/permanent_note AND #content-creation
Article drafts: #type/article AND #content-creation
Random ideas: #type/fleeting_note AND #content-creation

Because I have both structured type tags AND liberal topic tags, I can:

Query all notes about content creation: #content-creation
Filter by specific type when needed: #type/book AND #content-creation
Exclude types I don't want: #content-creation AND -#type/fleeting_note

The type tags give me precision. The topic tags give me coverage.

Repurposing Content Discovery

I'm repurposing old articles into a newsletter. Which articles should I combine?

I search for topics I'm interested in: #productivity #systems #creativity

Because I tagged liberally, notes that share multiple tags surface together. These unexpected combinations often reveal connections I didn't plan for. Perfect for content repurposing.

The liberal tagging created serendipity I couldn't have designed.

Content Pipeline Management

When I'm ready to write, I can filter my knowledge base by:

Type: "Show me all permanent notes" (#type/permanent_note)
Topic: "About productivity" (#productivity)
Maturity: "That I haven't published yet" (-#published)

The combination of structured and free-form tags enables sophisticated filtering without requiring perfect planning upfront.

Addressing the Objections

Let me tackle the concerns you might have.

"Won't I end up with hundreds of useless tags?"

Yes, you will. And that's fine.

Here's why: tag chaos is better than tag scarcity.

If you have too many tags, you can clean them up during periodic reviews. There are various tools you can use (including AI of course) to clean things up, merge similar tags, rename inconsistent ones, delete unused ones, ...

But if you DON'T tag something because you're waiting for the perfect tag? That note is basically lost forever.

Plus, the "chaos" self-regulates. Unused tags naturally fade into obscurity. Useful tags surface through actual use. Your tag cloud becomes a map of what actually matters to you, not what you thought would matter.

"Won't search results be overwhelming with so many tags?"

Not when you combine tags.

A single tag might return hundreds of notes. But #creativity AND #systems AND #writing? That narrows down fast.

The abundance of tags is actually what makes precise search possible. With 2-3 tags per note, you have limited query options. With 5-10 tags, you can slice and dice your knowledge in dozens of ways.

"How do I know which tags to use without a plan?"

Let gut feeling drive your choices.

When you're writing or updating a note, what words describe it? What topics does it relate to? What would you search for to find this note later? Just add those as tags.

Don't overthink it. Don't optimize. Just tag and move on.

After a few months, you'll notice habits emerging. Certain tags will appear over and over. Those are your actual taxonomy, revealed through use rather than designed upfront.

"What about tag consistency?"

It's a real issue. You'll end up with #pkm, #knowledge-management, #KM, #personal-knowledge-management, etc.

But that can be fixed later.

During periodic reviews (e.g., monthly, quarterly), spend 10-15 minutes to clean things up. It doesn't have to take a lot of time, and it can go a long way in keeping your system maintainable. I personally do this every few months.

This maintenance approach works better than trying to enforce perfect consistency upfront. Because upfront, you don't know which tags will actually be useful. Let usage reveal that, then standardize the winners.

What Changed for Me

Before this system, tagging felt like homework. A chore I had to do "right" or the whole system would fall apart. Now? I don't think about tags. They happen automatically while I write. My fingers type # and my brain suggests tags without conscious effort. The muscle memory is there.

I stopped treating my knowledge system like a library and started treating it like a garden.

Libraries need perfect categorization. Gardens need good soil and then... they grow. Some paths emerge from use. Some plants spread unexpectedly. Some connections you never planned become the most valuable.

Your PKM system is a garden. Daily notes are the seeds, atomic notes are the plants, and your knowledge base is the flourishing ecosystem. Nurture it daily

My tag system is messy. It has redundancies. It has inconsistencies I haven't fixed yet. And it works better than any "perfect" system I tried to design.

Because it's alive. It evolves with my actual needs rather than serving some theoretical ideal.

For Creators: Why This Matters

As creators, our knowledge isn't just something to organize. It's our competitive advantage.

When you can quickly aggregate all your notes on a topic across different sources (e.g., books, articles, conversations, ideas), you can create content faster without sacrificing depth.

When you can discover unexpected connections through tag combinations, you can repurpose and remix content in ways that feel fresh rather than repetitive.

When you're not paralyzed by tag decisions, you can focus on what actually matters: capturing insights and creating value.

The tag system I've described isn't just about finding notes. It's about building a content creation engine that scales with you.

Going Further

Want to dive deeper into building sustainable knowledge systems for creators?

Just getting started with Knowledge Management?

My Knowledge Management for Beginners course covers everything from first principles, including detailed guidance on tags, metadata, and building systems that grow with you. You'll learn:

The different types of tags and when to use each
How to build tag systems that scale from 100 to 10,000+ notes
Practical workflows for tagging during capture, creation, and review
How to leverage tags for content creation and knowledge work
Real examples from my own 10,000+ note vault
And so much more!

Your ultimate video course to mastering Personal Knowledge Management (PKM)

Knowii Knowledge System: Tools + Courses + Community

Ready to understand how to transform your workflow using Obsidian?

Check out the Obsidian Starter Kit. It's a complete system for organizing your notes, including ready-to-use templates, comprehensive automation, and battle-tested best practices for tagging that actually work at scale. The Kit includes:

Solid systems that scale
Dozens of pre-defined note types and corresponding templates
Pre-configured tag structures for type and topic tags
Templates that apply tags automatically
Automated note filing based on type tags
Complete documentation for every aspect
And a ton more!

Want to connect with other creators building knowledge systems?

Join the Knowii Community where creators share their systems, workflows, and discoveries about knowledge management. It's a space to learn from others, get feedback on your approach, and stay motivated on your PKM journey.

And don't forget to subscribe to my newsletter for weekly insights on knowledge management, productivity, AI, and intentional living.

Conclusion

The tag system that finally worked for me isn't elegant. It's not perfectly designed. It's not what the experts recommend.

But it works. And that's what matters.

Here's what I learned:

Structure where it matters (type tags), freedom where it helps (topic tags)
More is better than perfect when it comes to discovery
Emergence beats planning for knowledge work
Your system should serve you, not some theoretical ideal
It's okay to be messy

If you're struggling with tags right now, here's my advice: start with type tags, then tag liberally for everything else.

Don't plan your taxonomy. Don't optimize. Don't agonize. Just add the tags that feel right and move on.

Your future self will thank you. Not because the tags are perfect, but because they're there.

Now I want to hear from you: What's your biggest tag struggle? Or if you've had a tag system breakthrough, what finally clicked for you? Share your story in the comments or reach out on X or through the Knowii Community. I read every response and love learning from your experiences.

That's it for today! ✨

DeveloPassion's Newsletter 204 - Building in Public - The Numbers, The Struggles, and My Plans for 2026

Sebastien Dubois — Sat, 03 Jan 2026 16:34:35 GMT

Hello everyone! I'm Sébastien Dubois, your host. You're receiving this email because you signed up for DeveloPassion's Newsletter. Thank you for being here with me ✨

Introduction

Welcome to all the new readers ❤️

Here I am, early January 2026, sitting at my desk with my left eye throbbing (because apparently breaking my front tooth in December wasn't enough 😅), reviewing everything that happened in 2025. I spent the last few days of the year and the first few days of this one doing something that's very important for me: truly looking back.

Not just at the numbers or the products launched. But at the whole picture. The wins and the wounds. The breakthroughs and the breakdowns. The moments that made me want to quit and the ones that reminded me exactly why I don't want to.

As I scrolled through my 2025 yearly note documenting every achievement, every failure, every moment of joy and frustration - the first feeling that hit me wasn't pride or disappointment. It was gratitude mixed with urgency.

Gratitude because holy hell, I did a LOT this year. I doubled my revenue. I launched the Knowii Community and saw it grow to over 300 members. I created products I'm really proud of. I many editions of this newsletter. I became a better teacher, a better creator, a better thinker.

But urgency because... I still can't pay myself. October 2023 was the last time I could. That's three years of building, hustling, sacrificing, believing - and I'm still not there yet. This isn't a sad story, though. Not even close. This is the story of what it really looks like to build something meaningful.

Behind every product you've bought, every article you've read, every newsletter like this one, there's a really humble person. Someone with a family to support, a wedding to plan (September 2026!! 🎉), health struggles to endure, and big dreams that keep me going despite everything.

I needed to process 2025, understand what worked and what didn't, and build a real strategy for 2026. Not just goals. A plan. A pivot. A path to finally achieving the financial freedom that's been eluding me.

I'm sharing all of this because I believe in building in public. Because I think you deserve to see the human behind the business. And because I need your support, your feedback, and your ideas as I navigate the biggest transformation years of my life.

Ready? Let's dive in 🚀

Before You Go Any Further

I want to reach more people. Got 20 seconds? Then share the link with one friend/colleague who would benefit from joining us! And of course, don't forget to also mention the Knowii Community ❤️

And if you bought some of my products or courses? Then please leave a rating/review. It really helps a lot ❤️

Mission & Core Strategy

Throughout 2025, I noticed something that became impossible to ignore. A pattern that showed up in my analytics, in my sales, in the emails I received, and most importantly, in my own mirror.

The content that resonated most wasn't my deep dives into PKM theory or knowledge work. It was the pieces about content creation systems, writing workflows, and building sustainable creative practices. When I published articles about turning notes into articles, managing content, or leveraging AI for content creation; those were the ones that sparked conversations, got shared, and drove sales.

And then there was the most obvious signal of all: I AM a creator. I've been one all along.

I publish dozens of articles and newsletters each year newsletters. I create courses, products, tools, videos, podcasts. I'm building a business by creating and sharing knowledge. I've been teaching PKM (Personal Knowledge Management) to "knowledge workers," but I've actually been building and leveraging a creator's knowledge system.

I feel like I've been teaching the right systems to a too broad audience.

So here's the pivot I'm making in 2026:

From "PKM for Knowledge Workers" to "Content & Knowledge Systems for Creators"

This isn't about abandoning my mission. It's about expanding and sharpening it. I'm still on a mission to help people escape information overload and build systems that work. But now I'm going to focus on the people who need these systems MOST, and who can create the most value with them:

Content creators, solopreneurs, course builders, writers, authors, newsletter editors, coaches, and anyone building a business by sharing their knowledge and/or building products.

The transformation I'm going to focus on is complete:

From chaotic content creation to reliable systems that produce consistent, high-quality output
From drowning in tools and ideas to using knowledge + AI to create more valuable content faster
From creative blocks to consistent productivity and shipping
From scattered efforts to sustainable creator businesses where knowledge is your competitive advantage
From a foggy vision to 100% clarity without doubts

Now, if you're a knowledge worker reading this and thinking, "Wait, am I being left behind?". The answer is simple: Nope!

In fact, you might already be a creator. If you write documentation, teach colleagues, create presentations, share knowledge, participate in meetings, you're creating content. These systems I'm building will serve you too. It's just better, clearer language for what you're already doing.

And the systems work for everyone. The creator-focused refinements I'm making to my products will make them even better for traditional knowledge work too. A rising tide lifts all boats.

I'll still support existing products. The Obsidian Starter Kit, Knowledge Worker Kit, and everything else you've purchased will continue to evolve and improve. But my new content, new products, and primary focus will be laser-targeted on helping creators build the knowledge systems that let them create prolifically, sustainably, and profitably.

This pivot isn't just strategic. It's also personal and self-serving. I'm building what I wish I had when I started. And in 2026, I'm bringing you along for the entire journey.

More on the specific 2026 plans later in this newsletter. First, let me show you how I got here by sharing the full story of 2025.

2025 Highlights

Personal Highlights

Ran 20KM twice - pushed my body further than I thought possible
Started preparing for my wedding (September 2026! 🎉)
Watched my kids hit major milestones - Matthieu turned 15, Amandine started high school, Raphaël turned 4
Finished ~30 books
Learned Rust and Tauri while building Knowii Voice AI
Got a promotion at my day job
Amazing vacation in France with family and friends
Quality time with my bride, special moments, adventures, and building our future together
...

Business Highlights

Launched the Knowii Community, my biggest bet of 2025, now with over 300 members
Doubled my revenue and went from ~$10K in 2024 to ~$20K in 2025 and grew MRR to ~$400 across newsletter and community
Best sales month ever: 83 sales, $3.2K (December 2025)
Published 200 editions of DeveloPassion's Newsletter
Released Obsidian Starter Kit v3 with major improvements after weeks and weeks of hard work (August-October) that paid off
Created and released Knowledge Management for Beginners course (~10 hours of content, 125 videos) and reached ~200 students by December, Proud to teach Knowledge Management to people all over the world
Created and launched Knowii Voice AI (https://voice-ai.knowii.net), a privacy-first voice-to-text app
Launched the Knowii Affiliate Program with 40% commissions
Published 18 new articles on my blog
Doubled my YouTube subscribers (from ~230 to 530)
Organized multiple Knowii Community Events, workshops, deep dives and live streams
Launched the AI Ghostwriter Guide in June: https://store.dsebastien.net/l/ai-ghostwriter-guide
Launched my Everything Knowledge Bundle, including most of my products as a one-time purchase around July, and kept adding to it: https://developassion.gumroad.com/l/everything-pkm
Improved my entire website and traffic grew: 150K unique visitors (+33%), 270K pageviews (+40%)
Built really cool tools: Week Planner, Concepts Website (1,700+ concepts), Tools Website
Released two new plugins: Life Tracker plugin for Obsidian and Journal Bases plugin for Obsidian
The Complete Knowledge Management System Checklist, a free resource, and published a landing page for it: https://www.dsebastien.net/free-knowledge-management-system-checklist
Heavily improved my AI Assistant and embraced Claude Code as a core part of my workflow
Black Friday 2025 and End of Year 2025 promotions were my most successful ever

The theme? I showed up. Despite everything: the financial stress, the health challenges, the self-doubt ,... I kept building, creating, and serving this community. And you showed up too. Thank you ❤️

Health

Let me be completely honest with you: I feel like I'm all broken.

That's not metaphorical. That's how I described myself in my December notes. Left shoulder hurting at night. Right leg and ankle still recovering from running injuries. Back aching. Broken front tooth (won't get permanently fixed until August 2026 - a month before my wedding :x). And as I'm writing this newsletter, my left eye is throbbing.

But hey, I 2025 was also the year I pushed my body further than I thought possible. I walked a ton, started running again, ran 2x20KM, ...

I just pushed too hard. My right leg gave out. I could barely walk. The pain was intense. I had to stop running for months. When I tried again in November, both my legs went numb while running and started hurting even when walking. It was depressing. The injuries kept coming. In January, my back got completely stuck. I couldn't move, couldn't walk. In September, my left shoulder started acting up. In December, I broke my front tooth. The pain lasted over 10 days. I could barely eat. The "fix" I got is temporary until August.

So what did I learn?

My body's been trying to tell me something all year: you can't hustle your way to health.

I can't push 20KM runs when I haven't built a sustainable running practice. I can't ignore sleep, nutrition, and stress management while building a business and raising a family. 2025 taught me that health isn't about heroic efforts. It's about sustainable practices.

So yes, I feel old and broken right now. But I haven't given up. I'm just learning to listen better. To respect my body's limits while working to expand them gradually. To celebrate what my body CAN do (like type this newsletter!) instead of only focusing on what it can't.

Family

My kids are growing up so fast it's almost scary.

Matthieu turned 15 in January. Fifteen! For his birthday, I wrote him something about Capturing moments of joy because I'm realizing more and more that these years with them are fleeting. He's becoming a young man, and I'm grateful for every moment we get together.

Amandine started high school and handled the transition beautifully. At 13, she's finding her own path, developing her interests, and showing so much strength.

Raphaël turned 4 in September. He's incredibly cute, always smiling, and so awesome I can't even find the right words to describe him. He's literally a little angel. He was born when I was close to 40, so I'm watching him grow with different eyes than I had when Matthieu and Amandine were born. I feel like I pay more attention and feel more grateful for every moment I get to spend with him.

Throughout 2025, I was reminded again and again how important it is to be present. Not just physically there, but actually present. The moments I spend with my family matter more than any revenue number ever will. And I want to enjoy many more.

And then there's Stef, my bride.

We're getting married in September 2026! 🎉

2025 was the year of preparing for that commitment. Finding our wedding rings. Working on invitations together. Planning our future. Building a life together while I'm building a business. She's been my rock through all the chaos; the financial stress, the health struggles, the late nights working on products and newsletters.

Every moment with her, reminds me why I'm doing all of this.

2025 also brought loss. We said goodbye to close family members we loved. It's a reminder that time is precious and finite. That the moments we have with the people we love can't be taken for granted.

Family is the foundation everything else is built on. That's where the truly meaningful things will always be.

When the business is stressful and the money isn't there yet, when my body hurts and I'm exhausted, when I question whether any of this is worth it - my family is the answer. They're why I keep going.

Leisure

Here's something I struggle with: taking time for leisure when the business isn't making enough money yet.

Every time I sat down to play a board game, watch a show, or just relax, there was this voice in my head saying, "You should be working. You should be creating, promoting, sharing, teaching, ... You can't afford to waste time."

But those moments of play kept me sane.

Theater visits with Stef. Watching Attack on Titan with Amandine. Playing FF16 solo. TrackMania sessions with Matthieu and Amandine. Rediscovering Daft Punk and letting music fill the space in my head that's usually occupied by work.

Leisure isn't a luxury I can't afford. It's fuel. The weekends where I completely unplugged helped me come back to work sharper and more creative.

I just can't afford NOT to rest. Burnout doesn't lead to breakthroughs. Exhaustion doesn't fuel creativity. And a life that's all hustle with no joy isn't a life worth building a business for.

Because the moments of play aren't distractions from the work. They're what make the work sustainable, and sustainability is key.

Business Challenges

Let me tell you what it really looks like to build a bootstrapped business.

I haven't been able to pay myself since October 2023. That's over three years of working, hustling, creating, launching - and still not making enough to actually earn a living from it.

I doubled my revenue in 2025. I went from ~$10K to ~$20K. That sounds nice until you realize it's still far from enough. My business is "default dead" in startup terms. Without my day job (which I was forced to return to at 60% in January of last year), my family would be in serious trouble.

The pressure of this is constant. Every product I launch, every newsletter I write, every hour I spend creating, there's this voice asking, "Is this finally going to be enough? Is this the thing that gets me to sustainability?" So far, the answer has been no.

Here's what else didn't work in 2025:

I bet big on the Knowii Community, and at this point, it still barely pays for itself.

I invested heavily in Circle.so ($140+/month). I created the whole infrastructure. I brought in over 300 members (I actually invited almost 3000). I organized workshops and deep dives. I put my heart into building something truly valuable.

And it's barely breaking even. Worse, the community struggles to feel alive. People join, but most don't engage. The few active members are amazing, but I can't figure out how to get the other 300+ to participate. It hurts because this was my biggest bet of 2025.

The free tier was a also mistake. Many people joined but didn't really care.

I failed at marketing. Badly.

I tried running ads for the Obsidian Starter Kit, but it brought zero sales. I improved sales copy across products, tested different offers, launched birthday and summer promotions. But that brought zero sales.

Most of my marketing efforts throughout the year were vain. I still suck at this and I know it.

I didn't record nearly enough video content - my biggest regret of 2025.

I KNOW video is what I need to focus on. My YouTube channel is growing (2x subscribers). When I publish videos, they work. But I didn't do nearly enough of it.

Why? Because I keep procrastinating. I keep avoiding that work, because I'm not confident enough, because I'm scared of rejection. Because I still suffer from the Impostor syndrome. And so I focus on other things, like building the Obsidian Starter Kit v3. Because that let's me work in the shadows, not really putting myself out there.

This is the clearest failure I can point to: I knew what to do and didn't do enough of it.

The Knowledge Management for Beginners course underperformed.

I worked on it for MONTHS. 125 videos. ~10 hours of content. I poured my expertise into it. It only generated ~$3.5K total. That's very very low ROI for the time I invested. I need to market it better, but I haven't.

Product and platform experiments that flopped:

TikTok: Published ~30 videos/images. Almost no traction.
PKM Library sales crashed (48 sales vs 278 in 2024). I didn't work on it at all and it showed.
Podcast: Launched with excitement. Published a few episodes. Then abandoned it.
Obsidian Bootcamp: Planned for September, then abandoned because I was too busy with the Obsidian Starter Kit and hurt my leg.
Coaching: Only had a few sessions all year. Didn't promote it at all.

Newsletter revenue went DOWN (-15%) even though I continued publishing new editions. Went from $117 MRR to $77 MRR at one point.

Social media engagement is almost non-existent for most of my posts. Failed to grow meaningfully on any platform despite cross-posting to X, Bluesky, Mastodon, Threads, LinkedIn, and Substack.

In November, I joined the Apple Developer Program ($99 a year) for Knowii Voice AI and I lost a ton of time there because of their clunky Notarization process, and issues still aren't solved to this day. I also started paying for GitHub Actions because I exploded quotas with Knowii Voice AI. I also became a Microsoft Partner, so that I can later publish the app on the Microsoft App Store. This whole cluster**** killed my momentum with that project. Bummer!

The administrative side of the Knowii Community is still a nightmare at this point. I don't have access to their admin API, and it means I have to do most of the admin work manually. It's a real PITA, and definitely something I need to fix.

Every challenge on this list is an experiment that didn't work. Some taught me valuable lessons. Some exposed skill gaps (marketing, video consistency). Some were just capacity constraints (can't do everything).

In January, I also faced a "near-cataclysm" with my notes. Luckily, I had solid backups. But I went further and created a new backup script with PowerShell: https://gist.github.com/dsebastien/dbff841a773be4ecdb61e5233e104feb. I also wrote a Obsidian 2025-01 vault issue post-mortem

But that's the thing with entrepreneurship. You're always running experiments. Many will fail. Some will not. But each and every one of those will teach you something. Also, a hard lesson to learn is that you may be doing everything "right", showing up consistently, creating quality content and products, delivering again and again, and still not make it financially.

That's where I am right now. Not failing catastrophically. But not succeeding sufficiently either.

The good news? Every failure taught me something. Every experiment that flopped gave me data. And all of it is feeding into my 2026 strategy.

I know what needs to change. I know where to focus. And I know that 2026 has to be different.

Because I can't do another year like this.

Achievements

Now let me show you what I DID accomplish in 2025. Because despite all the challenges, I built A LOT.

Revenue & Business Growth

Doubled revenue: $10K (2024) → $20K (2025)
Grew MRR to ~$400 (Knowii Community + DeveloPassion - Newsletter)
Best sales month ever: 83 sales, $3.2K (December 2025)
Gumroad: 679 total sales (+43% vs 2024), 23.3K views (+3K vs 2024)
Launched Knowii Affiliate Program with 40% commissions
- 110 affiliates joined
- 225 sales generated all-time
- $1K in affiliate-driven revenue
Black Friday 2025: Most successful ever

Unfortunately, even though I generated $20K this year, I have ~10K of recurring costs + taxes. If I tried to pay myself, the business would be killed in a jiffy!

Products & Major Launches

Obsidian Starter Kit v3 (August-October release)
- 181 sales, $8K revenue (+$3K vs 2024)
- Major improvements: first-class Obsidian Bases support, new systems (Action, Learning, Time Management, Health, Wisdom, Dot System, ...)
- Completely rewrote documentation
- 8.5K Gumroad views
- 6.4K unique visitors to landing page
Knowii Voice AI (November launch)
- Privacy-first voice-to-text app
- 3 sales, $100 revenue (first month)
Knowledge Worker Kit
- 50 sales, $5.4K revenue (+$700 vs 2024)
- Increased price from $99 to $149
- Added community event recordings as bonuses
AI Ghostwriter Guide (June launch)
- 5 sales, $100 revenue

Courses

Knowledge Management for Beginners
- Created: 125 videos, ~10 hours of content
- Gumroad: 62 sales, $2.4K revenue (+$2K vs 2024)
- Udemy: 120 sales, $420 revenue (first year on platform)
- ~200 total students by December
- Published 10 course videos free on YouTube → contributed to 2x subscriber growth
Knowii Community Events, Workshops, Deep Dives & Live Streams
- Organized and recorded multiple events:
  - AI Master Prompts (June)
  - Model Context Protocol / MCP (June)
  - Clarity 101 (June)
  - Knowledge Management 101 (July)
  - Personal Organization 101 (July)
  - Journaling Deep Dive (August)
  - Obsidian & OSK v3 (October)
  - OSK v3 Deep Dive (November)
- Sold separately: 38 sales, $270 revenue
- Added as bonuses to the Knowledge Worker Kit

Community Growth

Launched the Knowii Community (April-May)
- 343 members total
- 118 active members (34% MAU)
- 10 daily active members
- $280 MRR
- Hit ~$200 MRR in June
- Made it paid-only in November (removed free tier)
- Gumroad: 88 sales, $544
- Circle.so infrastructure fully set up
- Added concept cards as free bonus (December)

Content Creation

Writing:

Published 20 editions of DeveloPassion's Newsletter
18 new articles on dsebastien.net
~12K total notes in my vault, 80% of which are published on notes.dsebastien.net
PKM Journal: 1K followers on Medium (x2 vs 2024)
Started publishing raw voice notes: https://dsebastien.voicenotes.com

Newsletter & Blog:

Ghost newsletter: $100 MRR, 12 paid subscribers
2.3K members (+21%)
Website: 150K unique visitors (+33%), 270K pageviews (+40%)
Google Search: 2.25M impressions, 16.4K clicks
Google Discover: 12.7K impressions, 640 clicks
Ahrefs: DR 42, 1.5K organic traffic, 242 organic keywords
Medium: 2,358 followers (+300), $100 revenue
LinkedIn Newsletter: 570 members (+60)

Video & Audio:

YouTube: 530 subscribers (up from ~230, x2 growth)
1K+ hours watch time
Launched podcast: 18 episodes published (https://open.spotify.com/show/5GxgPsUCTaHii8f6mZAWyi)
TikTok: Published <30 videos/images

Throughout the year, I kept improving my AI Assistant and AI Ghostwriter, listing my content pillars, my content levels, content types, templates, My communications plan, and so much more. It has really become my writing sidekick. Fully aligned with my writing style, knowing about my products and offerings, etc. Along with that, I also heavily improved My Content Strategy (e.g., based on How to create a content roadmap). I intend to develop/share more around this soon.

Tools & Open Source

Life Tracker plugin for Obsidian (December)
- Announced on Reddit: 45K+ views, many positive comments
- https://www.dsebastien.net/announcing-life-tracker-a-new-obsidian-plugin/
- https://www.reddit.com/r/ObsidianMD/comments/1pksc5a/announcing_life_tracker_a_new_obsidian_plugin
Journal Bases plugin for Obsidian (December)
- https://www.knowii.net/c/announcements/new-obsidian-plugins-journaling-bases
Concepts Website (December)
- 1,700+ concepts published
- https://concepts.dsebastien.net
- Open source (MIT): https://github.com/dsebastien/concept-cards
- Features: mobile support, SEO, AI SEO, JSON-LD schemas, tags, categories, statistics, random concepts
- Through this project, I'm also experimenting with AI SEO and affiliate marketing. I've included relevant book recommendations for many concepts, using my Amazon affiliate tag. Might be fun if this generates some revenue. I see that as a Win-Win method experiment
Week Planner (August)
- Built with Matthieu as weekend project
- https://weekplanner.tools.dsebastien.net
- Open source (MIT): https://github.com/dsebastien/week-planner
- Embodies the File over app principle
- Export/import JSON, no database, no lock-in
Tools Website (December)
- https://tools.dsebastien.net
Obsidian Plugin Template
- New version using Bun: https://github.com/dsebastien/obsidian-plugin-template
WhatsApp Claude Agent CLI
- Bridge between Claude Code and WhatsApp
- https://github.com/dsebastien/whatsapp-claude-agent
Adobe Premiere Chapters to YouTube converter
- CLI: https://github.com/dsebastien/adobe-premiere-chapters-to-youtube
- Web version: https://adobe-premiere-markers-to-youtube.tools.dsebastien.net (source code: https://github.com/dsebastien/adobe-premiere-chapters-to-youtube-web)
Ghost Visibility CLI
- https://github.com/dsebastien/ghost-visibility-cli
Dataview Serializer plugin for Obsidian updates

Aside from all that, in August, I proposed an improvement to add strong typing for Obsidian notes, but it got pushed back/"rejected". It's my belief that Obsidian would really benefit from providing support for strongly typed notes. Currently, the auto-completion in Bases and Properties is really weak and disappointing: https://forum.obsidian.md/t/add-support-for-type-class-files/104997. In October, I started working on the Obsidian Starter Kit plugin, enabling to define actual note types and properties, adding support through the property editor, commands, and more: Shared a thread about OSK plugin note creation: https://x.com/dSebastien/status/1978746095854563497. It's still a work-in-progress, but it will be added to future releases of the Obsidian Starter Kit. I see a ton of potential for that one

Infrastructure & Technical

Migrated my Website to Ghost v6 and ActivityPub support
Migrated OSK user guide to Obsidian vault and public notes
Migrated Knowledge Worker Kit content to Obsidian & public notes
Created master customer list (finally!)
Set up n8n and automation workflows (deployed own instance, $5/m Hetzner server)
- Eliminated Zapier, reduced costs
Set up a Custom domain for my store: https://www.store.dsebastien.net
Created landing pages for free resources:
- Knowledge Management System Checklist: 71 "sales," $5 donations
- Beginner's Guide to Obsidian: 58 "sales," $7 donations
Upgraded my PC: 96GB RAM for running AI models locally
Switched to Omarchy (Arch Linux) in October
Apple Developer Program membership for Knowii Voice AI
Microsoft Partner Program membership
Created vault stats system: https://notes.dsebastien.net/50+Resources/56+Obsidian+Publish/Stats

AI & Automation

Heavily improved AI Assistant and AI Ghostwriter
- Aligned with writing style, content pillars, content types, templates
- Fully integrated with my products and offerings
Became serious about Claude Code (June onward)
- Subscribed to Claude Max with personal funds ($120/m)
- Leveraging Model Context Protocol (MCP) extensively
- Using MCP server for Obsidian
Improved AI podcast generation process
Learned about ElevenLabs for voice generation
Created Person Information Finder prompt for researching public figures
Explored Rust and Tauri while building Knowii Voice AI
Published AI SEO experiments on Concepts Website

Learning & Skill Development

Learned Rust and Tauri (October-December)
Deep dive into Large Language Models (LLMs)
Explored and mastered n8n automation platform
Improved content strategy and communications planning
Created visualization of DeveloPassion value areas

Free Resources & Lead Generation

Public Notes: 20K unique visitors (+210%), 88K pageviews (+160%), 3m28 avg duration (+45%)
Free KM workshop in July drove Knowii Community signups

What Worked

This isn't just a list of things I shipped. These are the experiments that WORKED:

Turning Knowii Community into my main offer with all products included
Selling community events as separate products
Increasing Knowledge Worker Kit's price to $149
Capturing testimonials more systematically
Migrating guides to my Obsidian vault and ublic notes (better UX, connected to knowledge base)
Supporting Obsidian Bases in OSK
Publishing Knowledge Management for Beginners videos free on YouTube (drove 2x subscriber growth)
Automating with n8n (reduced costs, increased efficiency)
Black Friday 2025 strategy

The numbers don't lie: I SHIPPED. I created. I built. I published. I showed up.

Even when my body let me down. Even though the money wasn't there. Even when marketing failed and products underperformed.

I kept building.

Articles Published in 2025

New Articles in 2025

January:

February:

March:

Beyond Note-Taking - Creating a Playground for Your Mind

May:

June:

July:

Bootstrapping is the Hardest Thing I've Worked On in My Entire Life

August:

November:

12 Common Personal Knowledge Management Mistakes and How to Avoid Them

December:

2026 Plans

Let me paint you a picture of where I'll be in December 2026.

I'm sitting at this same desk, but everything feels different. My business is generating over $10,000 per month, enough that I've finally reduced my employee work to just 20-40% and can focus most of my energy on creating, teaching, and serving this community. My YouTube channel has crossed 10,000 subscribers and become a sustainable growth engine, feeding everything else I build. The Knowii Community is thriving with over $1,000 in monthly recurring revenue, alive with conversations, workshops, and people genuinely helping each other grow. The Obsidian Starter Kit, Knowledge Management for Beginners course and Knowledge Worker Kit have 3-4x'd their revenue through better marketing and a clearer value proposition.

And most importantly: I'm finally paying myself. After three years of sacrifice, hustle, and belief, the business works and is default-alive.

That's the vision. Now let me explain you how I'm going to get there, and how you can be part of this journey.

The Transformation Starts Now

First and foremost: my goal is to reach $10K+ in monthly revenue by December 2026. Not $10K total for the year. $10K per month. Consistent, recurring, sustainable.

This isn't arbitrary. It's what I need to finally achieve financial freedom with my business, support my family properly, and reduce the pressure of splitting myself between two careers. It's the number that changes everything.

I've spent the last few weeks building a real strategy to get there. Not just goals, but a complete plan with accountability built in. Every project I work on in 2026 must justify its contribution to this goal. If something isn't moving the revenue needle, I'm pausing it or killing it.

No more scattered focus. No more analysis paralysis. Just clear priorities and disciplined execution.

The Pivot

Throughout 2025, I kept noticing a pattern. My content about content creation systems, writing workflows, and creator productivity consistently outperformed my more general Personal Knowledge Management content. The people who bought my products, engaged with my newsletter, and joined my community weren't just "knowledge workers". They were creators, solopreneurs, writers, course builders, coaches, and content creators.

Then it dawned on me: I AM a creator. I've been one all along. I publish many newsletters a year. I write articles, create courses, build products, record videos and podcasts. I'm building a business by creating and sharing knowledge. I've been teaching PKM to "knowledge workers," but I've actually been living and building a creator's knowledge system.

So here's my strategic pivot for 2026:

From "PKM for Knowledge Workers" to "Content & Knowledge Systems for Creators"

I'm still going to help people escape information overload and build systems that work. But now I'm going to focus on the people who need these systems most and who can create the most value with them: content creators, solopreneurs, course builders, writers, authors, newsletter editors, coaches, and anyone building a business by sharing knowledge.

If you're a traditional knowledge worker reading this, you're not being left behind. The creator-focused systems I'm building will work beautifully for you too. But my new content, products, and messaging will speak directly to the creator's journey. Because that's what I know best, what I'm living daily, and where I can provide the most value.

The Three Non-Negotiable Priorities

These three things MUST happen in 2026. Everything else is secondary.

1. Build a Sustainable Video Content System

This is my biggest priority and my biggest lesson from 2025: I need to create way more video content.

Here's what that means in practice:

Record and publish 1-3 hours of content every single week - no excuses, no skipping
Post regularly on TikTok: short-form clips and original content
Grow to 10,000+ YouTube subscribers by year's end (unlocking monetization along the way)

Why is this non-negotiable? Because video is the growth engine I've been ignoring for too long. When I published the free Knowledge Management for Beginners videos on YouTube, my subscriber count doubled. Every time I publish a tutorial or system showcase, engagement spikes and product sales follow.

But I didn't do nearly enough of it in 2025. I let other projects distract me. I convinced myself I was "too busy" building products to market them properly through video.

That ends now.

The content will focus on:

Creator systems and workflows (building the audience for the pivot)
Obsidian Starter Kit showcases and tutorials (driving OSK sales)
Knowledge management fundamentals (growing the overall audience)
AI usage and leverage for creators (capitalizing on trending topics)

I already have over 200 video ideas mapped out and prioritized. Now it's just about showing up consistently and executing.

The Knowii Community and this newsletter are my recurring revenue foundation; the stability that makes everything else possible. Right now they generate around $400 MRR combined. By December, that needs to be >$1,000+.

Here's how I'm getting there:

Make the Knowii Community Actually Alive: This has been my biggest struggle. I have over 300 members, but most don't actively participate. In 2026, I'm organizing at least 10 major workshops and events (1-2 per month), creating more valuable exclusive content, and fostering the connections that make a community feel vibrant rather than dormant.

Find Newsletter Sponsors: I'm reaching out to companies whose tools and services genuinely help knowledge workers and creators. If you know of companies that might want to sponsor this newsletter or if your company is interested, please reach out.

Publish Consistently: At least 25 newsletter editions in 2026. No gaps, no excuses. This newsletter is how I stay connected with you and how I drive everything else forward.

Create More Viral and Practical Content: I have a content roadmap with 100 key articles and 200 viral content ideas mapped to my business goals.

3. Scale My Revenue Drivers Through Better Marketing

Obsidian Starter Kit is my proven product. It works. People love it. But I've been terrible at marketing it.

In 2025, it generated around $8K. In 2026, that needs to be $24K-32K, which means 3-4x growth. Not through building more features (though OSK v4 is coming), but through actually promoting what already exists.

Same story for the Knowledge Management for Beginners course and the Knowledge Worker Kit.

Those are revenue drivers that can scale without requiring proportional time investment from me. It's leveraged. It compounds. And it deserves way more marketing attention than I gave those in 2025.

In addition, I will also spend time on improving the Knowii Affiliate Program.

4. Keep Building

Aside from that, I intend to keep building. I will continue improving Knowii Voice AI, the Knowledge Worker Kit and other products I have launched.

I will launch the Mac and Linux versions of Knowii Voice AI, add post-processing workflows and actions support. I will also offer it to paid Knowii members who've stayed subscribed for 3+ months. This tool saves me hours weekly, and I want more creators to experience that.

The second half of 2026 is where the pivot becomes real through products built specifically for creators.

BuilderOS is the centerpiece - my flagship offering for creators building sustainable content businesses. Think of it as the Obsidian Starter Kit for creators. OSK helps you build a knowledge management system. BuilderOS helps you build a complete creator operating system: the systems for content pipelines, audience management, revenue tracking, product development, and everything else you need to run a creator business efficiently.

It's going to be built on top of everything I've learned from writing and publishing hundreds of articles, 200+ newsletters, creating dozens of products, building communities, and generating revenue as a solopreneur who's also a parent of 3 with a day job.

It's the system I wish I had when I started. And I'm building it for you in 2026.

BuilderOS will include systems, frameworks, workflows, tools, templates, documentation, video courses, training, etc. Shortly put: Everything creators need and the strategic thinking that lets creators move from chaotic hustle to systematic and sustainable productivity.

It's for the creator who's drowning in tools, scattered across platforms, and can't figure out how to turn their knowledge into consistent revenue.

Success Looks Like This

Success means:

Finally paying myself consistently after three years
Reducing employee time to 20-40% so I can focus on creating
Building products I'm genuinely proud of for an audience I deeply understand
Showing up every week through video and newsletter
Creating systems that help creators avoid the struggles I've faced
Building a sustainable business that serves my family while serving this community

How You Can Help Me Get There

I don't want to do this alone. I'm asking for your help in two specific ways:

1. Financial Support - If this mission resonates with you:

Consider joining the Knowii Community; it's where everything comes together
Pick up the Obsidian Starter Kit if you haven't already
Take the Knowledge Management for Beginners course (don't be misled by the name!)
Grab Knowii Voice AI if you want to capture thoughts at the speed of speech
Join my affiliate program (40% commissions!) and help spread the word
If none of those fit right now, just forward this newsletter to someone who needs it

Every purchase, every membership, every referral gets me closer to that $10K goal. And it shows me that what I'm building actually matters to people beyond myself.

2. Content Ideas and Requests - Tell me what you want to learn:

What creator workflows are you struggling with?
What knowledge management problems keep showing up?
What videos would be immediately valuable to you?
What products or courses would you actually buy?

Reply to this email or reach out on X, Bluesky, or LinkedIn. I read everything. Your feedback directly shapes what I create.

This is the year it all comes together. The pivot is clear. The plan is solid. The priorities are set.

Now I just need to execute - and I'd love for you to be part of this journey.

Let's build something remarkable in 2026 🚀

What I'm Excited About

I'm genuinely energized about 2026. Here's what has me fired up:

Building BuilderOS: This is the product I've been unconsciously preparing to build for three years. Every struggle with scattered tools, every system I've refined, every workflow I've documented. It's all been leading here. BuilderOS is my chance to create something truly comprehensive for creators, distilling everything I've learned into one flagship offering. The creative challenge of building this excites me more than anything else on the business side.

The AI Revolution in My Workflow. Claude Code, Agent Skills and the Model Context Protocol have fundamentally transformed how I work. In 2026, I'm pushing this even further, refining my AI Assistant to be even more aligned with my voice and strategy, scaling up the AI SEO experiments, and helping other creators leverage these tools through courses and products.

My Wedding in September - After years together, Stef and I are getting married. This is going to be a unique moment in my life 🎉

Potentially Running My First Marathon - Yeah, I know - in 2025 I could barely walk after those injuries. But that's exactly why this excites me. If I can heal properly, build sustainable running habits, and complete a marathon in 2026, it'll prove that you can come back from being "all broken." It's a parallel journey to the business transformation. Both require patience, consistency, and refusing to give up when it hurts. I'm making this an option because I don't want to hurt myself again ;-)

Watching My Kids Grow Up - Matthieu at 16, Amandine navigating high school, Raphaël turning 5... These are years I can't get back. If the business succeeds and I can reduce my employee time to 40-20% or even less, I get more of these moments. That possibility energizes me. The financial goal isn't just about paying myself. It's about being more present for the people who matter most.

The Creator Community I'm Building. As I pivot to serving creators more specifically, I'm excited to see who shows up. Who are the creators who resonate with this message? What will they build using the systems I create and share? How will BuilderOS change their businesses and lives? The Knowii Community will remain, and it will become even more valuable when it's full of creators helping each other succeed.

What excites you about 2026? Reply and tell me. I'd love to know what you're working toward this year.

Knowii Affiliate Program Reminder

Want to help spread the word about my products while earning money? Join the Knowii Affiliate Program!

It's a mission-driven partnership for content creators, PKM practitioners, and community members who want to help others break free from information overload while earning 40% commissions on all my products.

That includes:

Knowii Community memberships
Obsidian Starter Kit
Knowledge Management for Beginners course
Knowledge Worker Kit
Knowii Voice AI
And everything else in my store

It's free to join. If you believe in what I'm building and want to support my work, this is a great way to do it ❤️

Join here: https://www.dsebastien.net/knowii-affiliate-program

Knowii News

The Knowii Community celebrated its first full year in 2025, and what a foundation we've built together!

By the numbers:

334 members and growing
80 community posts sharing knowledge, questions, and insights
415 comments and likes - real engagement from real people
2,800 direct messages exchanged between members
1,100 minutes of live engagement during workshops and events
17 hours of live workshops and deep dives recorded and available
Top discussion topic: Knowledge management (of course! 🧠)

But numbers only tell part of the story. The real story is in what we created together.

8 Major Workshops & Events in 2025:

AI Master Prompts (June) - Leveraging AI for knowledge work
Model Context Protocol / MCP (June) - Connecting AI to your systems
Clarity 101 (June) - Getting clear on goals, projects, and priorities
Knowledge Management 101 (July) - The fundamentals that change everything
Personal Organization 101 (July) - Systems for sustainable productivity
Journaling Deep Dive (August) - Using journaling for growth and insight
Obsidian & OSK v3 (October) - Complete walkthrough of the Starter Kit
OSK v3 Deep Dive (November) - Advanced techniques and workflows

Every single one of these is recorded and available to members of the Knowledge Builder and Knowledge Master tiers. That's hours of premium content you can access anytime.

In December, I added something special: Free access to the Concepts Knowledge Base (1,700+ concepts about knowledge management, productivity, AI, personal development, etc) for all community members. It's a resource that keeps growing and compounds in value over time.

The core members who show up, engage, ask questions, and share their insights... You know who you are, and you're what makes this community special. Thank you for being here with me ❤️

What's coming in 2026:

At least 10 more workshops and events (1-2 per month)
More creator-focused content and discussions
Exclusive early access to BuilderOS and other new products
Direct access to me for questions, feedback, and collaboration
A community that becomes more alive with every member who joins

Here's what membership gets you:

Access to ALL my products (OSK, KWK, courses, guides - everything)
Exclusive workshops and recordings
The Concepts Knowledge Base (1,700+ concepts)
Direct connection with me and other knowledge enthusiasts
Early access to new products and beta features
Supporting a mission you believe in while getting incredible value

Your membership directly supports my journey to $10K/month while giving you access to everything I create. It's the foundation that makes all the other products, content, and tools possible.

If you've been on the fence about joining, 2026 is the year. The community is growing, the value keeps compounding, and I'd love to have you as part of this journey.

Join us: https://store.dsebastien.net/l/knowii

Books

Currently Reading

Deception Point by Dan Brown
The Mist by Stephen King
Le meurtre de Roger Ackroyd by Agatha Christie
(and about a dozen more :p)

Read in 2025

January:

Blind Spot
The Good Guy

February:

Demain j'arrête !
Flyover
Shelter

March:

Odd Thomas
Seconds Away
The Anomaly

April:

Found

June:

Thoughts of Marcus Aurelius

July:

The Street Lawyer

August:

Flip Thinking
Elevation
Earth in Mind

September:

You Like It Darker
Bram Stoker's Dracula
Le Voyageur imprudent
J'aurais aimé te tuer
Everything's Eventual

October:

Desperation
Nobody's Fool

November:

The Running Man

December:

Blaze
The Long Walk by Stephen King
The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde
Le livre des reves interdits
Métaphysique des tubes by Amélie Nothomb
Gone for Good by Harlan Coben
Don't Let Go by Harlan Coben

~30 books total for 2025 - a mix of fiction, thrillers, classics, and philosophy. Reading remains one of my favorite ways to disconnect and explore ideas outside my usual domains.

Happy New Year

Sebastien Dubois — Thu, 01 Jan 2026 01:08:41 GMT

2026 is here.

I wish you all a wonderful year, full of wonders, discoveries, learning, growth, fun and happiness. May this new year bring you tons of timeless memories.

I'll soon share my plans for this year with you all. Many fun things ahead 😁.

PS: Only a few hours left to benefit from my last 2025 offer: -50% discount on all my products using the "EOY2025" discount code here https://store.dsebastien.net

Last Discount of 2025

Sebastien Dubois — Thu, 25 Dec 2025 16:15:45 GMT

Time for my last discount of the year.

Merry Christmas to everyone

Use this code at checkout: EOY2025

https://www.store.dsebastien.net

DeveloPassion's Newsletter 203 - The Power of Feedback

Sebastien Dubois — Tue, 16 Dec 2025 11:18:15 GMT

Hello everyone! I'm Sébastien Dubois, your host. You're receiving this email because you signed up for DeveloPassion's Newsletter. Thank you for being here with me ✨

Welcome

Welcome to all the new readers ❤️

Another week, another newsletter! I hope that you all had a great one 🤩

On the personal front, things have been... interesting. I broke a tooth a two weeks ago, and it's been quite painful. Thankfully, the third dentist appointment is coming soon. But this forced me to cancel upcoming Knowii Community events. Hard to speak at the moment :p

I also still can't run because I'm too scared of hurting myself further. The waiting game continues!

Beyond that, I've had TONS of fun building different things these past weeks. More on that below!

Alright, let's gooooo 🚀

This Week's Highlights

Launched the Life Tracker plugin for Obsidian — Tracking what matters in your life has never been easier 🎉
Built the WhatsApp Claude Agent CLI — control Claude Code from your phone
Created the Ghost Visibility CLI tool
Deployed my new Tools Website: https://tools.dsebastien.net
Reached $3.5K sales this month 💪
Knowledge Management for Beginners crossed 200+ students
Published multiple articles on PKM and Obsidian
Finished reading The Running Man (book) and The Long Walk (book) by Stephen King
Started reading The Mist (book)

Before You Go Any Further

I want to reach more people. Got 20 seconds? Then share the link with one friend/colleague who would benefit from joining us! And of course, don't forget to also mention the Knowii Community ❤️

And if you bought some of my products or courses? Then please leave a rating/review. It really helps a lot ❤️

Knowii Affiliate Program Reminder

Want to help spread the word about my products while earning money? Join the Knowii Affiliate Program!

That includes:

Knowii Community memberships
Obsidian Starter Kit
Knowledge Management for Beginners course
Knowledge Worker Kit
Knowii Voice AI
And everything else in my store

It's free to join. If you believe in what I'm building and want to support my work, this is a great way to do it ❤️

Join here: https://www.dsebastien.net/knowii-affiliate-program/

The Power of Feedback

This edition's theme came from a surprising experience: the overwhelming positive response to my little plugin idea.

A few days ago, I started building the Life Tracker plugin for Obsidian. I needed it for myself to better track health-related information and visualize patterns over time. I shared it on Reddit, expecting maybe a handful of responses.

What happened instead? 40,000+ views. ~200 likes. 90 GitHub stars in just a few days. I was really taken aback.

But the numbers aren't what matters most. What truly excited me was the feedback.

People started suggesting features. Reporting bugs. Asking questions. Sharing how they wanted to use it. And this feedback loop quickly became incredibly powerful. I was able to iterate rapidly, shipping multiple releases based on real user needs.

Since the initial announcement, I've released versions 1.2 through 2.0 with features like:

Batch mode for capturing multiple data points at once
Mobile-optimized data entry
Formula visualizations
Property reordering
Customizable heatmaps
Customizable color schemes
Timeframe customization
And much more

This is the magic of building in public. You share something. You get feedback. You improve. You share again. The cycle continues, and the product gets better exponentially faster than if you were building alone.

And with AI, you can build things at breakneck speed.

If you're sitting on an idea, waiting for it to be "perfect" — stop. Ship it. Get feedback. Iterate. That's how real progress happens.

Tracking Life Systematically

Let me tell you more about the Life Tracker plugin for Obsidian.

I built it because I needed a better way to track important health-related information in Obsidian. Things like sleep quality, energy levels, mood, exercise, medications, symptoms — all the data points that help you understand patterns in your life.

In Obsidian Starter Kit v3, I added tons of properties to daily notes, but had a hard time updating those. Now my problem is fixed:

Existing solutions either required complex setups, didn't integrate well with Obsidian's native features, or lacked proper visualization capabilities. I wanted something that:

Works seamlessly with Obsidian and Obsidian Bases
Makes data entry quick and frictionless
Provides beautiful visualizations (charts, heatmaps, timelines)
Supports any type of property you want to track
Works on both desktop and mobile

So I built it.

Key Features:

Multiple visualization types: line charts, bar charts, pie charts, heatmaps, timelines
Batch mode for capturing multiple metrics at once
Mobile-responsive design
Formula support for calculated properties
Customizable colors and timeframes
Property duplication and reordering
Grid and card layouts

Links:

I plan on including this plugin in future releases of the Obsidian Starter Kit. Stay tuned!

Claude Code as Universal Agent

I've been using Claude Code extensively, and I keep discovering new ways to leverage it. It's become my go-to AI assistant across virtually every domain of my work:

Software Development: Writing code, debugging, refactoring, building entire applications. Claude Code handles everything from simple scripts to complex multi-file projects.

Writing: Drafting articles, newsletters, documentation. It understands my voice and helps me express ideas more clearly.

Knowledge Management: Organizing notes, creating connections, building my PKM system. It reads my vault and helps me improve it without replacing my own thinking.

Personal Organization: Planning projects, breaking down goals, managing tasks. It helps me think through complex problems.

Productivity: Automating repetitive tasks, building tools, streamlining workflows.

Research: Exploring topics, synthesizing information, finding patterns across sources.

Documentation: Creating guides, writing explanations, building reference materials.

And more! Claude Code isn't just for coding. It's a general-purpose agent that can help with virtually anything you throw at it.

And now, I've taken this even further by building a bridge between Claude Code and WhatsApp... And this is super fun!

WhatsApp Claude Agent CLI

I built a CLI tool that lets you control Claude Code directly from WhatsApp. And it's awesome to use on the go!

What it does:

Bridges WhatsApp messaging with Claude's AI capabilities
Send messages from your phone, get AI-powered responses
Full file manipulation and code generation support
Works with WhatsApp groups (mention the agent to interact)
Persist conversations across sessions
Switch between Claude models on the fly
Fully configurable via WhatsApp commands

Key Features:

Multiple permission modes (read-only to full access)
Session management with resume/fork capabilities
Custom agent naming and system prompts
In-chat commands for mode switching, configuration, and more
Auto-update support

This is what I mean by Claude Code being a universal agent. You can control it from anywhere: your terminal, your IDE, or now your phone.

Links:

GitHub: https://github.com/dsebastien/whatsapp-claude-agent
Release Notes: https://github.com/dsebastien/whatsapp-claude-agent/releases

The Lab 🧪

These past weeks, I've had an absolute blast building things. There's something deeply satisfying about shipping tools that solve real problems.

Knowledge Management for Beginners Milestone

The Knowledge Management for Beginners course crossed 200+ students! 🎉

Your ultimate video course to mastering Personal Knowledge Management (PKM)

dSebastien’s Toolbox - Free & Paid Productivity Tools

This course is close to my heart. It covers everything I know about Knowledge Management, from first principles to advanced techniques. Seeing more and more people take it and transform how they manage information is incredibly rewarding.

And the feedback I've been receiving lately? Absolutely heartwarming:

"Fantastic program that rings true on so many levels bringing out the true power offloading your memory in a frictionless way" — Sofia

"Don't let the "Beginners" title fool you—this course is a comprehensive guide to building a fully functional Second Brain. Sebastien goes far beyond simple note-taking; he teaches a complete lifecycle: from the "Capture Habit" and preventing the "Collector's Fallacy" to actually leveraging your knowledge for creative output. While the course offers great theoretical frameworks (PARA, Johnny Decimal, Zettelkasten), I loved how practical it got with Obsidian. The sections on automating workflows (Templater, Dataview) and the deep dive into integrating AI (Claude, MCP, NotebookLM) were absolute game-changers. I walked away not just with a set of notes, but with a "Life OS" that I can actually trust. Highly recommended!" — Olivier Larue

"I have worked in information systems since the 1980's and stumbled on some of these things haphazardly in both my personal and professional lives. I have never seen all these (knowledge and skills) teachings together before in countless books, videos and courses over the decades. I don't think that most of this knowledge even existed most of my life. This instructor is doing a great job of teaching me what I've been looking for (pretty intensely) since I was fourteen years old, and making me look forward to living the last (hopefully) third of my life with more focused clarity to reach my life's goals and purpose. I consider it an ideal gift for any (young) person who is serious about growing a more productive life with peace of mind." — Roger Frei

Reading these testimonials feels incredible. It's validation that all the hard work I've put into this course was worth every effort. Knowing that people are genuinely transforming how they manage their knowledge and their lives — that's why I do this ❤️

If you want to master the fundamentals of Knowledge Management, this is the course for you: https://knowledge-management-for-beginners.com

Tools Website

I built and deployed a new tools website at https://tools.dsebastien.net. It hosts various utilities I've created, including the Adobe Premiere Chapters to YouTube converter.

A collection of free and paid tools, plugins, and utilities to boost productivity and solve real problems.

dSebastien's ToolboxSébastien Dubois

Obsidian Plugin Template Revamped

I've revamped my Obsidian plugin template to use Bun. It's so much faster and more powerful than before!

This new version will help me create Obsidian plugins more easily in the future. Bun makes the development experience incredibly smooth — faster installs, faster builds, and a cleaner developer experience overall.

It's also AI-ready, including explanations and guidance for AI assistants to effectively help build plugins the right way. Perfect for working with Claude Code or other AI coding assistants!

And it's free and open source (MIT license), so anyone can use it! If you're building Obsidian plugins, this template gives you a solid foundation with modern tooling.

GitHub: https://github.com/dsebastien/obsidian-plugin-template

Ghost Visibility CLI

I created a command-line tool to manage visibility settings for Ghost blog posts. It allows bulk updates through an interactive interface. Super useful when I need to change multiple posts at once.

Features:

Smart filtering (visible/invisible posts)
Batch processing (100 posts at a time)
Interactive selection menu
Bulk visibility updates (public, members-only, paid)
Statistics display

GitHub: https://github.com/dsebastien/ghost-visibility-cli

Knowii Voice AI

On the positive side, I've added support for two new voice-to-text models in Knowii Voice AI:

Moonshine: A lightweight model that enables support for low-end hardware. Now you can use Knowii Voice AI even on older machines!
Meta's Omnilingual: A powerful model that supports tons of additional languages. Perfect for more powerful machines and multilingual users.

Unfortunately, the macOS version is currently stuck because of issues with Apple's notarization process. I've been trying to get it released, but Apple's system keeps rejecting my builds without clear explanations.

This issue has already cost me over $100 on GitHub Actions (building and signing macOS apps is expensive!), and Apple's support hasn't been particularly helpful. From what I've learned, this is quite common for new apps trying to get through the notarization process for the first time.

Hopefully, I should be able to release the macOS version in the coming weeks. In the meantime, the Windows version is available and working great!

Knowii Voice AI - You Think Faster Than You Type

Press. Speak. Release. Your words appear exactly where you need them. Works in every app. Runs on your computer. $49, one time.

Knowii Voice AISébastien Dubois

Obsidian Starter Kit Ready for TaskNotes 4

Great news for Obsidian Starter Kit users! The kit is now ready for TaskNotes 4, and it's really awesome!

TaskNotes is the task management plugin that powers the task system in OSK. Version 4 brings significant improvements that make task management in Obsidian even more powerful and enjoyable.

If you're using OSK, make sure to update TaskNotes to get all the new goodies!

Jump straight to stress-free note-making with Obsidian

Knowledge Worker Kit and Private Community (BETA)

Knowledge Worker Kit Migration Complete

I've finished migrating the entire Knowledge Worker Kit guide over to my Obsidian vault and public notes!

This is a big deal. The guide now lives alongside all my other notes, which means I can easily integrate the content with the rest of my knowledge base. Cross-references, backlinks, and connections with related concepts make the guide much more valuable and easier to maintain.

If you want to level up your personal organization, productivity, and knowledge work skills, the Knowledge Worker Kit is for you. It covers everything from time management to goal setting, from habits to workflows.

Who is this for? You are an entrepreneur, founder, executive or leader You are a Knowledge Worker or Lifelong Learner You feel lost and overwhelmed by the pace of innovation, disorganized, or unproductive You want to be a top performer and stay ahead of the curve You want to join a community of like-minded people you can exchange with, and learn from You want a solid system that scales You want to learn with the best What is this?TL;DR: This is a private community accompanied by a detailed guide exploring many topics (e.g., Knowledge Work, AI, Knowledge Management, Personal Organization, Learning, Time Management, Project Management, etc), sharing proven and scalable systems/guidance. The content will keep expanding over time, with courses, workshops, and more!The Knowledge Worker Kit is an evergreen project. You buy access once, and you get lifetime access to all the past and future content, resources, workshops and events, including all the bonuses.⚠️ WARNING⚠️: Don’t forget to add the bonuses after you pay. If you forget to do so, you’ll have to contact me to get those.Please note that the Knowledge Worker Kit is in BETA. The content will be added and expanded over time. If you buy access now, you’ll benefit from the lowest price. The product is already available so that I can find early adopters and get as much feedback as possible in order to make it great for everyone.🚀 Join Knowii as a Knowledge Master and get this along with SO much more!What’s included?If you buy access to the Knowledge Worker Kit, you’ll get free lifetime access to: Access to the private community The Deep Dive Guide covering all the areas, as well as templates, guidance, references, and resources All past and future events, workshops, meetups, knowledge-sharing sessions, invited talks, AMAs, and to all the recorded sessions Ask Me Anything (AMA) Q&As with me All the bonuses listed below Included bonuses: Obsidian Starter Kit ($49.99) Obsidian Starter Course ($69.99) Personal Knowledge Management Library ($39.99) Journaling Deep Dive Workshop ($29.99) Personal Organization 101 Workshop ($19.99) Clarity 101 Workshop ($19.99) AI Master Prompt Masterclass ($19.99) AI Model Context Protocol (MCP) Masterclass ($19.99) Beginner’s Guide to Obsidian Total value of the included bonuses: ~$270+.You’ll also get free access to all future updates. Over time, I’ll continue expanding the guide, adding new bonuses, new ideas, techniques, systems, templates, and more!Evergreen ContentThe Knowledge Worker Kit is a living project, and a community of practice. It will continue expanding over time, and the value you will get out of it will keep growing. Day after day, week after week. Buy it once, and you will have access to all future content, resources, workshops and events.Who is behind this?Hi, I’m Sébastien DuboisI’ve been passionate about Knowledge Management, Learning, Knowledge Work, Personal Organization, and Productivity for more than 20 years. As an author, entrepreneur, coach, and father of 3, I needed efficient and effective solutions to stay organized, focused, and productive. The Knowledge Worker Kit includes everything I know about these topics, and more!I have a proven track record of delivering at work, and with my side projects. I have worked as a software developer, team leader, project manager, IT architect, CTO, founder, coach, consultant, solopreneur, and more. I have also published 3books, 300+ articles and newsletters, created courses, YouTube videos, digital products, and the Knowii community. And I did it all with a busy life, a 9-5 job, and 3 kids.My personal system works and helps me learn quickly, achieve my goals consistently, with high quality standards, and without sacrificing my health and precious family time. And that’s why I want to share it with you: my system. Actually, my goal is not only to share my experience, but also to create a community of like-minded people, and help each other grow as much as possible.Tell me more...Being a Knowledge Worker today is much more challenging than it ever was. Getting started isn’t easy, and there are many traps to avoid. Spare yourself some time and benefit from my experience and battle-tested systems. I’ll share everything I know with you: my approach, my systems, my routines, my templates, guidance, my courses, my starter kits, and more! My mission is to help you be part of the top 1% of Knowledge workers.After you finish exploring the guide, you’ll have: Clarity in your life and an obvious path forward Solid habits, routines, and systems Clear ideas about how to “manage” your career An effective approach to learning new things Solid knowledge management and personal organization systems Knowledge about how to organize, plan, control, and manage projects (large and small!) A toolkit to prioritize work A system to manage your tasks at scale Effective means to focus your attention and manage your time Work methods that will propel your career forward What’s in the guide?The guide is a Notion space that includes detailed explanations, guidance, deep dives into the systems I rely on daily, links, references, templates, and various resources that all Knowledge Workers should explore.You will get to explore the content at your own pace, and to focus on what is useful to you right now, as each section is actionable on its own.Importantly, the guide will keep growing. It’s an evergreen knowledge base. Over time, we will grow the content further, adding new guides, deeper explanations, videos, and more.It covers the following topics: 01. Clarity: values, behaviors, goals, non-goals, priorities, and intentions 02. Habits, routines, systems, processes and methods 03. Career Management and Anticipation 04. Learning 05. Projects Knowledge Management and Journaling 06. Projects Organization 07. Planning and Prioritization 08. Task Management 09. Focus, Attention, Time Management and Action 10. Personal Development 11. Control: periodic reviews, progress tracking, course-adjustment 12. Personal Organization 13. Work Overview of the main topics01. ClarityThis part explores key elements that help bring clarity to one’s life: Needs Values Principles Goals Priorities Each of those is important to know what matters, what has value, and what to focus on.02. Habits, routines, systems, processes and methodsThis part explores the base elements of productivity systems: Habits and routines Systems, processes, and methods Those are key to building an “effortless” life, requiring as little willpower/motivation as possible to make things happen.03. Career Management and AnticipationThis part focuses on career management: its importance, your responsibility, the mindset you need to acquire, and all the related ideas.04. LearningThis part shares ideas about how to… Learn how you best learn Learn more effectively Explore new topics Research Filter information Leverage AI and LLMs … 05. Personal Knowledge Management (PKM) and JournalingThis part explores how to collect, organize, and link all your knowledge and information. It explores the main concepts of PKM, note-taking, note-making, tools of the trade, and structures/tips to help you keep everything useful, manageable, and maintainable as your knowledge base grows.It also introduces journaling and how to approach it to support your whole life.06. Projects OrganizationThis part focuses on how to organize projects and their information in a way that enables you and your teams to make focused progress.It shares ideas about how to organize project information, how to document projects, how to organize backlogs, etc.07. Planning and PrioritizationThis part focuses on how to plan projects and tasks, how to deal with deadlines, and how to prioritize work using various methods.08. Task ManagementThis part focuses on task management for personal and professional projects. It explores ways to keep tasks under control, how to organize personal work, and how to make the link between your different backlogs and your day-to-day life.09. Focus, Attention, Time Management and ActionThis part focuses on how to make things happen every single day, regardless of whatever is going on in your life. It’s all about techniques, tips & tricks, and tools to help you better manage your time, focus, and attention in order to ACT.10. Personal DevelopmentThis part explores important aspects of Personal Development that can make a big difference in a Knowledge Worker’s life. A sane mind in a sane body.11. ControlThis part is dedicated to control. How to control your progress, your trajectory, your projects, etc. And also, how to adjust course when things don’t go as expected.12. Personal OrganizationThis part helps better organize yourself and your information. It shares “zen” techniques you can use to remain organized, independently of how much information you have to juggle with.13. WorkThis part is all about WORK. How to do the work, how to improve your attitude, your results, and your recognition. It also dives into how to better collaborate with others to achieve your goals and those of your company/group.Testimonials

Knowii Knowledge System: Tools + Courses + Community

Public Notes Now Include Metadata

My public notes now include metadata properties, folded by default. This gives you visibility into the structure and organization of my notes while keeping the content clean and readable.

README - DeveloPassion

DeveloPassion

What I'm Excited About

Reached $3.5K sales this month
My WhatsApp Claude Agent project
Life Tracker plugin for Obsidian and its potential
Decompilation capabilities of Claude Opus 4.5: https://blog.chrislewis.au/the-unexpected-effectiveness-of-one-shot-decompilation-with-claude

Knowii News

The Knowii Community continues to grow and thrive!

Upcoming: I'm planning new workshops focused on Obsidian. Stay tuned for announcements about deep dives into Obsidian Bases, Obsidian Canvas, Templating, Plugin Development, and more.

I'm also planning workshops about how to fully leverage AI for knowledge work, beyond software development.

If you're serious about Knowledge Management and want access to workshops, courses, and a community of like-minded people, consider joining the Knowii Community.

Transform Information Overload Into Clarity with a Complete Knowledge SystemAccess an All-in-One Solution: Community + Premium Courses + Professional ToolsInformation chaos is silently sabotaging your productivity, creativity, and peace of mind. You’re drowning in scattered notes, forgotten insights, and constant context switching, watching valuable ideas slip through the cracks daily.What if you could transform that chaos into your greatest advantage with a proven, ready-to-implement system?Knowii delivers everything you need in one integrated package: A supportive community of fellow knowledge masters Premium courses sharing hard earned wisdom, worth hundreds of dollars Professional knowledge tools and templates Implementation guidance and direct support This isn’t just a community. It’s a complete knowledge system.Join today, and get access to $150-$500 worth of bonuses, depending on the tier you subscribe to! 🤯Who is this for?The Knowii community brings together leaders, knowledge workers, content creators, and lifelong learners committed to breaking free from information overload to achieve both professional excellence and intentional living.The Knowii community is made up of real people facing everyday knowledge challenges: Knowledge workers trying to keep up with the evolution and real-world impact of AI Overwhelmed Professionals - People drowning in tabs, emails, and Slack messages who want to regain control of their information Career Builders - Individuals actively documenting their expertise to advance professionally and make better workplace decisions Career Changers - People learning new fields who need to organize and connect information across different domains Team Leaders & Managers - People juggling multiple responsibilities who need to track information and priorities, but also share knowledge across teams who struggle with documentation and information silos Executives & Decision-Makers - Professionals who need to quickly synthesize complex information from multiple sources to make confident, timely decisions under pressure Founders & Entrepreneurs - Business owners and startup creators juggling investor decks, customer feedback, market research, and product plans who need systems to keep it all organized and actionable Consultants and freelancers juggling multiple client projects who need to quickly recall specific details without digging through old emails Researchers & Students - People who highlight books, take course notes, and need to turn that raw material into lasting knowledge Subject matter experts who struggle to organize years of accumulated knowledge in a way they can actually share with others Content Creators - Bloggers, newsletter writers, and course builders who need reliable systems to produce consistent, quality content, without burning out Growth-Oriented Minds - People committed to continuous improvement and development Knowledge Seekers - From curious beginners to seasoned experts committed to lifelong learning Systematic Thinkers - People who value structured approaches to organizing information and ideas Intentional Professionals - Leaders, knowledge workers, and creators building purposeful systems Clarity Enthusiasts - Those seeking to break free from information overload and mental clutter Balance Seekers - Individuals balancing personal and professional lives who need efficient systems that don’t consume all their time Note-Takers & Organizers - From beginners with messy desktop folders to Obsidian power users with thousands of linked notes Tool Explorers - Folks who’ve tried Notion, Roam, Obsidian, and more, seeking practical advice on what actually works Practical Implementers - Those who transform theory into actionable systems and workflows Generous Contributors - Community members who share insights, resources, and experiences Anyone who’s ever thought “I know I saved that somewhere...” while frantically searching We’re not productivity gurus with perfect systems. We’re regular people who care about taming information overload, building solid systems and sharing what works.Why Knowii Exists 41% of knowledge workers feel overwhelmed by information daily The average professional experiences 23 context switches each day 60% of valuable ideas are lost due to poor knowledge management Most people spend more time searching for information than actually using it You can learn more about Knowii here: https://www.dsebastien.net/communityChoose Your Transformation PathExplorerYour entry point to breaking free from information chaos with access to foundational resources, general discussions, and a supportive community of fellow knowledge workers.You get: Access to general discussions Knowledge Management guidance and tutorials Curated content Limited resource library access Introductory templates Community help for common problems Free bonuses Beginner’s Guide to Obsidian Database of Knowledge Management tools Knowledge Management System Checklist It’s enough to start fixing your information overload without a big commitment.Knowledge Builder: Integrated Knowledge System FoundationFor those ready to build reliable knowledge systems that stickEverything from Explorer, plus: Premium Community Resources: Access to live events and video recordings (i.e., masterclasses, workshops, Q&As, knowledge-sharing sessions, live streams, etc), templates, workflows, guides, private community spaces, etc Tools & Courses Package: Immediate access to the Obsidian Starter Kit and Obsidian Starter Course, a comprehensive foundation for your knowledge system Direct Access to Experts: Access to multiple Knowledge experts Monthly Community Challenges: Structured activities to build your knowledge management skills Access to DeveloPassion’s Newsletter Archives (~200+ editions) Early Access: Be first to try new community features and content Total Value: $150+ in premium tools & courses included with your membership!Perfect for: Professionals serious about developing systematic knowledge management practices to transform their work and lifeKnowledge Master: The Ultimate Knowledge SystemFor those committed to complete knowledge transformation with our most comprehensive package.All-inclusive access for maximum results with minimum friction.EVERYTHING in Knowledge Builder, PLUS: FULL Community Access: Exclusive events (e.g., AMAs, group coaching sessions, mastermind sessions, etc) and community spaces Complete Course Library: Knowledge Management for Beginners, Obsidian Starter Course, and all future courses ALL Knowledge Tools: Knowledge Worker Kit, Obsidian Starter Kit, Personal Knowledge Management Library, AI Ghostwriter Guide, and all future tools Implementation Support: Direct guidance and quarterly check-ins to ensure your system succeeds Experimental Content: Early access to cutting-edge PKM methods and integrations And more to come! Total value of the included bonuses: ~$500.These aren’t separate products. They’re components of one cohesive system designed to work together seamlessly. The courses teach you the frameworks, the tools provide the implementation, and the community supports your ongoing mastery.Perfect for: Serious professionals and content creators who want complete transformation of their knowledge workflows and maximum clarity in work and lifeYour Complete System Journey: How Everything Works Together1. Break Free From Information ChaosDiscover proven systems to capture, organize, and leverage what truly matters, eliminating mental clutter.2. Build Your Knowledge Command CenterCreate your personal knowledge ecosystem with the right tools and workflows that evolve with your needs.3. Transform Information Into InsightsMaster techniques to connect ideas, generate insights, and unlock creativity that would otherwise remain hidden.4. Apply Systems to Real-World ChallengesImplement your knowledge framework to professional scenarios, making better decisions and advancing your career.5. Achieve Zen ProductivityIntegrate knowledge management into a holistic approach prioritizing clarity, focus, and mental wellbeing.6. Create Content With ConfidenceBuild reliable systems to transform your knowledge into valuable content consistently and efficiently.Before Knowii... “I had 2,000+ bookmarks across 3 browsers and couldn’t find anything” “My notes were scattered across Evernote, Apple Notes, and dozens of paper notebooks” “I’d read great books but couldn’t remember or apply their key insights” After implementing the complete Knowii system: “I now have one central knowledge hub where everything is connected and accessible” “The Obsidian Starter Kit gave me a ready-made structure that I could actually use on day one” “The courses taught me how to implement the system, while the community helped me troubleshoot” Past events & recordingsYou can find the list of past events (i.e., masterclasses, workshops, Q&As, knowledge-sharing sessions, live streams, etc) over here: Knowii Community Events.Knowledge Builders and Knowledge Masters have access access to the video recordings 🤩.Created by Sébastien DuboisKnowii is led by Sébastien Dubois, Knowledge Management expert, coach and author dedicated to helping professionals break free from information overload. With years of experience building systems that turn overwhelming information into clear insights and confident decisions, Sébastien has helped hundreds transform their relationship with knowledge.Testimonials”You’ve given me a lot of inspiration in how to actually do that as well simply through everything that you’ve built! Happy that I found your work and came across this community - such a gold mine 🙏” — SofiaFrequently Asked Questions (FAQ)How is Knowii different from other online communities?Knowii isn’t just a discussion forum—it’s a structured transformation system. Each space is designed to build on the others, creating a comprehensive journey from information chaos to intentional clarity.I’m already overwhelmed. Will joining another platform help or just add more noise?Great question! Unlike most platforms that add to your digital noise, Knowii is specifically designed to reduce overwhelm by giving you systems to organize all your existing information sources. Sébastien has helped hundreds feel less overwhelmed through Knowledge Management coaching, systems and guides.Can I change tiers or cancel if needed?Absolutely. You can upgrade, downgrade, or cancel at any time. For annual plans, you’ll maintain access until the end of your billing period.What if I’m not sure which tier is right for me?Start with the Explorer tier or the Knowledge Builder tier. You can always upgrade if you find value in the community.Do I really get immediate access to all the courses and tools mentioned?Yes! Unlike most communities that charge separately for courses and tools, your Knowii membership (especially Knowledge Master tier) includes immediate access to everything listed. No additional purchases required.How do the courses and tools integrate with the community?The entire system is designed to work together. You’ll learn concepts in the courses, implement them using the tools and templates, and get support and inspiration from the community—creating a complete knowledge transformation pipeline.If I’m already using Obsidian (or another tool), will these resources still help me?Absolutely! The courses and tools are designed to enhance whatever system you’re currently using. Whether you’re just starting or already have thousands of notes, the Knowii system will help you organize and leverage them more effectively.Ready to Transform Mental Chaos Into Clarity?The difference between feeling overwhelmed and feeling in control isn’t about having less information—it’s about having a proven, integrated system.Knowii doesn’t just talk about better systems—it gives you the entire package: The community that supports you The courses that teach you The tools that implement it All in one comprehensive, ready-to-use solution.

Knowledge Worker Kit and Private Community (BETA)

Yearly Challenge 🎯

The end of 2025 is approaching. It's time to prepare your yearly review.

Here's your challenge:

Step 1: Review your past notes
Go through your journal entries, weekly notes, and reflections from 2025. Understand where you are right now. What did you accomplish? What challenges did you face? What patterns do you notice? What are you grateful for?

Step 2: Prepare a fresh start for 2026
Clear the mental clutter. Archive what needs archiving. Close open loops (cfr Closing Open Loops - The Key to a Calmer, More Productive Mind (Article)). Create space for what's next.

Step 3: Bring clarity about where you want to go
Ask yourself:

What should the next version of myself look like?
What are my next challenges?
What path do I choose for myself, going forward?

Step 4: Make your plans concrete
Don't just dream — define:

Your goals for 2026
The timeframe for each goal
The urgency and importance of each
The first concrete steps you'll take

A yearly review is one of the most powerful rituals you can develop. It forces you to be intentional about your life instead of drifting through it.

Don't skip this. Your future self will thank you.

Curious about the how? Then check out my Knowledge Worker Kit:

12 Common Personal Knowledge Management Mistakes (And How to Avoid Them)

Latest Articles

12 Common Personal Knowledge Management Mistakes and How to Avoid Them (Article)
Most people fail at PKM before they even get started. A deep dive into the anti-patterns that kill PKM systems — overthinkers, tool hoppers, complexity monsters — and how to avoid them.

Most people fail at Personal Knowledge Management before they even get started — here are the 12 traps to avoid.

Build Your Knowledge System for Decades, Not Months: Why Long-Term Thinking Matters in PKM

Build Your Knowledge System for Decades Not Months (Article)
Your knowledge base isn't a temporary project. It's your intellectual capital. Why long-term thinking matters, and how to build systems that last.

Most people build knowledge systems for today. Smart people build them for decades. Here’s why that choice matters more than you think, and how to make the right decisions

Announcing Life Tracker - A New Obsidian Plugin

Announcing Life Tracker - A New Obsidian Plugin (Article)
The full story behind the plugin, its features, and how to use it for systematic life tracking.

Capturing and leveraging the data that matters shouldn’t be that hard! Introducting the Life Tracker plugin for Obsidian

GitHub - dsebastien/obsidian-life-tracker-base-view: Capture and visualize the data that matters in your life

Books

Currently reading:

The Mist (book) by Stephen King
Antifragile (book) by Nassim Nicholas Taleb (re-reading)

Recently finished:

Quotes of the Week

New & Interesting Links

PKM / Thinking / Learning

Obsidian 1.11.0 and 1.11.1 released: https://obsidian.md/changelog/
- Mobile: iOS widgets, Siri integration, Android widgets, bottom-aligned navigation, double-tap to switch modes
- Desktop: Markdown links in properties (auto-updated on rename!), daily note format selection, new "Keychain" for plugin secrets
- Overall: Lots of UX improvements and bug fixes
Why note-taking is the fastest path to self-improvement: https://lucavettor.medium.com/why-note-taking-is-the-fastest-path-to-self-improvement-9dafc7eda8ef
Eliott Meunier about Obsidian: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s9WPfWBCtdc
Planning for a lifelong PKMS is near impossible (Reddit discussion): https://www.reddit.com/r/PKMS/comments/1otved4/planning_for_a_life_long_pkms_is_near_impossible
What 18,000 files taught me about digital knowledge: https://medium.com/@CasparAddyman/what-18-000-files-taught-me-about-the-future-of-digital-knowledge-and-why-i-sent-robots-to-spy-on-5a34f7dce22d
Augmenting Long-term Memory: https://augmentingcognition.com/ltm.html
The official Obsidian plugin template now includes an AGENTS.md file: https://github.com/obsidianmd/obsidian-sample-plugin/blob/master/AGENTS.md
- I've included a variant in my Obsidian plugin template
Obsidian 1.10 with faster performance: https://www.reddit.com/r/ObsidianMD/comments/1oufulb/obsidian_110_for_desktop_and_mobile_with_faster
Losing everything: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=35m1V7AWJsk
- Backup your systems!
Anti-productivity? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H-v7qXpIvnk
- Not sure I agree with everything but still an interesting pov
Obsidian for the win: https://medium.com/obsidian-observer/why-i-still-use-obsidian-for-notes-revisiting-the-piece-that-started-it-all-1c536eff540d
Buiding my own PKMS: https://amberwilliams.io/blogs/building-my-own-pkms
Obsidian, the tech stack for your brain you didn't know you needed: https://hackernoon.com/pkm-obsidian-the-tech-stack-for-your-brain-you-didnt-know-you-needed

Poems can trick AI: https://www.wired.com/story/poems-can-trick-ai-into-helping-you-make-a-nuclear-weapon
Edit PDFs with Nano Banana https://github.com/gavrielc/Nano-PDF
Opus 4.5 collapsed six months of development work into one week: https://every.to/chain-of-thought/opus-4-5-collapsed-six-months-of-development-work-into-one-week
Chrome DevTools MCP server: https://developer.chrome.com/blog/chrome-devtools-mcp
How to use the plan mode of Claude Code: https://code.claude.com/docs/en/common-workflows?s=03#how-to-use-plan-mode
Router for Claude Code: https://github.com/musistudio/claude-code-router
Price per token comparison: https://pricepertoken.com
Open WebUI: https://github.com/open-webui/open-webui
Better using the Gemini CLI: https://github.com/addyosmani/gemini-cli-tips
FLUX.2 was released: https://bfl.ai/blog/flux-2
- Underwhelming compared to what Google Banana delivered
The MCP protocol continues to evolve: https://blog.modelcontextprotocol.io/posts/2025-09-26-mcp-next-version-update
Deepak Chopra's AI chat: https://www.deepakchopra.ai

Cool

Digg is making a comeback: https://www.digg.com/
YouTube auto downloader: https://github.com/andrewarrow/starchive

That's it for today! ✨

Announcing Life Tracker - A New Obsidian Plugin

Sebastien Dubois — Fri, 12 Dec 2025 13:38:44 GMT

I’ve created something new: The Life Tracker plugin for Obsidian:

Capture and visualize the data that matters in your life - dsebastien/obsidian-life-tracker-base-view

GitHubdsebastien

Introduction

Life Tracking has been on my mind for quite a while, and I’ve already integrated various related properties in my daily notes (also in the Obsidian Starter Kit v3), but this remains tough to do consistently.

Jump straight to stress-free note-making with Obsidian

Video Walkthrough

A Word About Life Tracking

Life Tracking is pretty rad when you think about it. You can track data points such as your physical health, sleep, nutrition, exercise, mental health, stress, habits, routines, addictions, … Whatever you want, need or care about.

And it’s not just for fun. It’s actually valuable and helpful during periodic reviews (gentle reminder, it’s almost time for your yearly review!). By looking back at the past and observing trends, you can understand your problems, potential relationships between different things, causes & effects, etc. It enables being more objective about your health and actions, grounding your future decisions in observable/tangible reality.

Challenges

The issue with life tracking, aka capturing information about your life is that it takes time. You need to think about it. You need to take time to capture the information, etc. The templates I have for daily notes are nice because they already include a structured set of properties for this. But capturing remains tedious and boring:

Manually editing tons of properties is too tedious

But I intend to fix that!

The other difficult part of life tracking is that visualizing the information is not that easy. First you need to be able to capture it, centralize it, correlate it and create visualizations. Specific tools have support for that, but they introduce more information silos in your knowledge management system, and I don’t want that.

Let’s take an example: I use a Garmin watch. It captures my exercise routines. Cool, the information is in Garmin connect. It’s integrated with Strava. Cool, the information is in Strava as well. But then what? It’s just one more app/system I rely on. And I don’t like that one bit. Specificity is great because by focusing on a narrow problem space they are able to go real deep on certain aspects. But do I really need that level of detail? Oftentimes the answer is no.

Long story short, Obsidian remains my go-to solution for centralizing my information and knowledge (cfr Why Obsidian is All You Need - From Simple Notes to Complete Productivity (Article)). So it makes sense for me to capture and centralize my life data in there as well. Except that I did not have solid means to visualize the information so far, nor means to easily capture it.

One of those problems is now fixed.

Life Tracker Plugin for Obsidian

I’ve created the Life Tracker plugin for Obsidian. It adds a new type of view for Obsidian Bases that automatically creates visualizations for each column included in the view:

View your tracked data with different visualization types: area charts, heatmaps, bar charts, and line charts in a grid layout.

For each column, you can choose the type of visualization you want to use. The plugin currently supports 12 different graph/chart types.

Currently supported: heatmap, Bar Chart, Line Chart, Area Chart, Pie Chart, Doughnut Chart, Radar Chart, Polar Area Chart, Scatter Chart, Bubble Chart, Tag Cloud, and Timeline.

You can customize various aspects of the view & visualizations, including the time granularity and value ranges:

You can also configure other view settings:

Right-click any card to change visualization type, configure scale (auto-detect or preset ranges like 0-1, 0-5, 0-10, 0-100), maximize, or reset configuration.

It's also possible to maximize a visualization to focus on it:

Finally, it's also possible to create visualization presets. When those properties are shown in a Life Tracker base view, the right type of chart will be used automatically:

Next Steps

I intend to make it easier to capture/update said data so that it becomes mostly effortless and so that the data becomes more useful. That’s the next target for this little experiment.

I just sent a PR to get it added to the official list of community plugins. So, for now, this plugin can only be installed manually

That's it for today!

References

https://github.com/dsebastien/obsidian-life-tracker-base-view

Build Your Knowledge System for Decades, Not Months: Why Long-Term Thinking Matters in PKM

Sebastien Dubois — Thu, 04 Dec 2025 19:48:52 GMT

Most people build their knowledge systems for today. Smart people build them for decades. Here's why that choice matters more than you think.

Introduction

Your knowledge base isn't a temporary project. It's your intellectual capital—the essence of your reflections, your worldview, the concepts that have shaped your thinking over years or decades.

This capital deserves the same careful stewardship you'd give to any major life investment. Yet most people make decisions based on short-term convenience rather than long-term viability. If you're going to invest time building a PKM system, you need to build it on principles that last.

They choose the trendy SaaS tool. They love the impressive features. They don't ask the critical question: Will this choice serve me in 10 years?

That question changes everything.

Every decision you make today either empowers your future self or traps them in technical debt they'll spend years escaping. You're either building a foundation that compounds over decades, or you're building on quicksand.

Let me show you how to think long-term about something that matters.

The SaaS Problem: Convenience With Strings Attached

When you build your knowledge base on a SaaS platform, you're not just choosing a tool—you're placing multiple bets with years of your knowledge:

The company will stay in business
They won't change their pricing dramatically
They won't remove features you depend on
Their priorities will align with your needs

That's a lot of bets to make.

Here's what nobody tells you: most SaaS companies' objectives aren't aligned with yours. They need growth, investor returns, and increasing revenue. You need stability, data ownership, and long-term accessibility. They add features to justify price increases. You need simplicity that lasts.

This fundamental misalignment means that every "improvement" they make might actually harm your long-term interests.

There's also a cruel trade-off at play: the more features a tool adds, the less portable your notes become. Those beautiful databases, those convenient automations, those impressive AI integrations—each one is another chain binding you to that specific platform.

What Actually Happens

You build an intricate system over years. You invest hundreds of hours perfecting your workflows. Then:

Pricing changes force you to pay up or leave
Features you depend on get removed in a "redesign"
The company pivots, gets acquired, or shuts down
Export works technically but your structure is gone

Your database relationships? Text blocks. Your nested views? Broken. Your carefully crafted connections? Lost. You haven't lost your notes, but you've lost the system. And rebuilding takes months.

The reality: You're renting space in someone else's system. When they change the terms, you're stuck. This is why avoiding vendor lock-in is critical for any system you plan to use for decades.

Data ownership trumps convenience when building systems for life

💡 Learn to evaluate tools properly: My guide to choosing PKM tools walks you through evaluating options for long-term viability. Learn to spot red flags before committing years of knowledge to the wrong platform.

Why Your Data Format Matters More Than Your App

Proprietary formats are like writing your notes in a language only one company can read. When that company changes the language or stops translating, your notes become digital artifacts you can't access.

This isn't theoretical. OneNote formats change. Evernote exports break. Roam's JSON is unusable elsewhere. Even when export "works," you often lose structure, metadata, and connections.

Worse? You don't discover this until years later when you actually need to migrate. By then, you have thousands of notes trapped in a format nobody else can properly read.

Open Formats Are Future-Proof

Plain text and Markdown are different. They're not controlled by any company. Thousands of tools can read them today. Thousands more will read them in 20 years.

They're not perfect. But they're readable. And readable means recoverable.

This is precisely why I built the Obsidian Starter Kit on top of Obsidian; a tool that respects the File over app principle. Your notes live as plain Markdown files on your computer. If Obsidian disappeared tomorrow, you'd still have every note, readable in any text editor. That's real freedom.

If you can't open your notes in a simple text editor, you don't really own them.

Data Portability Is Your Insurance Policy

Data portability isn't just a nice-to-have feature. It's your insurance policy against every possible future problem. It's what separates building on solid ground from building on quicksand.

When your data is truly portable:

You can switch tools whenever you want, not just when forced to
You're never at the mercy of a company's business decisions
Migration is an afternoon project, not a months-long crisis
Your knowledge survives any tool, platform, or company failure

This is why the format you choose matters more than the app you use. Apps come and go. Companies change direction. But your data outlasts everything if it's in open, portable formats.

How You Use Tools Matters

Here's the irony: People worry about tools being closed-source while creating their own lock-in through how they use those tools.

Take Obsidian. The app stores notes as plain Markdown. It's perfectly portable. But fill those notes with elaborate plugin-specific syntax, custom queries, and tool-dependent automation, and you've built your own prison.

Maybe 30% of your content is now Dataview queries, custom callouts, or plugin-specific code blocks. Move to another tool? All that becomes gibberish.

This is what I call the over-engineering trap: spending more time perfecting the system than actually using it for thinking and creating. The technical elegance of your setup becomes the goal instead of the means. You mistake the container for the content.

That's exactly why I've built the Dataview Serializer plugin for Obsidian plugin: to ensure my data is not only available via one tool.

Use Power Features Strategically

The question isn't whether to use powerful features. It's whether to use them strategically, understanding exactly what you're trading.

Every Tool for Thought has extensions that add lock-in:

Notion databases
Roam block references
Obsidian plugin-specific syntax
Custom workflows that depend on specific tools
...

Use them if the value justifies the risk. But keep your core content portable. Don't let convenience features trap years of knowledge. True data portability means your notes remain (mostly!) usable even when stripped of all the fancy features.

Values Before Features: The Foundation of Long-Term Thinking

This is where most people get it backwards: they choose tools based on impressive feature lists and marketing pages. They should start with values.

When evaluating any knowledge management tool, the last thing you should look at is the feature list. The first thing you should examine is whether the tool's values align with yours.

Ask yourself:

Will my notes still be accessible in 20, 30, 40 years?
Do I truly own my data, or am I renting space in someone else's system?
Is this company's business model aligned with my long-term interests?
Are they adding features I need, or features they need to justify price increases?

For me, two values are non-negotiable:

True data ownership - My notes exist as files I control, in formats that will outlive any single application
Open formats - Plain text and Markdown that any tool can read, not proprietary formats that trap my knowledge

If a tool doesn't respect these values, it doesn't matter how impressive its features are. I won't trust it with my intellectual capital.

The Framework: How to Evaluate Long-Term Viability

Here's how I evaluate any tool or approach for long-term use:

The 10-Year Test

Ask yourself: If I couldn't use this tool in 10 years, would I still have meaningful access to my knowledge?

If the answer is no, you're building on quicksand.

The Hierarchy of Lock-in Risks

Not all risks are equal. Here's how I rank them (see also: In defense of using fewer tools):

Highest Risk: Platform dependency

Cloud-only tools where your data lives on someone else's servers
Proprietary formats that only work with specific software
Tools where export means losing most of your value

Medium Risk: Format dependency

Open formats with heavy tool-specific extensions
Markdown polluted with custom syntax
Data that's technically portable but practically not

Lowest Risk: Feature dependency

Local storage with open formats
Plain text that any tool can read
Simple structures that degrade gracefully

Start at the bottom and only move up when you're certain the value justifies the risk.

Questions to Ask Before Committing

Before investing significant time in any tool or workflow, ask:

Where does my data live? Local storage gives you control. Cloud-only puts you at mercy of business decisions.
Can I read my data without this tool? If you need special software to open your files, you have a problem waiting to happen.
What happens if this tool disappears? Companies die. Products get abandoned. Apps change direction. Plan for it.
How easy is migration? Try exporting a subset of your notes and importing them elsewhere. If it's painful with 100 notes, imagine it with 10,000.
Am I creating tool-specific dependencies? Every custom syntax block, proprietary feature, or tool-specific workflow is a potential migration headache.
Does this choice align with the File over app principle? Your data should outlive any app.

Building in Graceful Degradation

The best systems don't break when tools change—they degrade gracefully.

This means:

Your core knowledge remains accessible even without advanced features
Links still work (or can be easily fixed)
Structure remains understandable
Value persists even if automation disappears

Think of it like building a house. The foundation and walls should stand even if you remove the fancy smart home features.

🎯 Ready to build on solid foundations? The Obsidian Starter Kit gives you a complete, battle-tested system built on these exact principles. It's designed for decades of use with Obsidian, following the File over app principle. Your knowledge stays portable, accessible, and yours—forever. Get the Obsidian Starter Kit →

📚 Deep dive: My Knowledge Management for Beginners course covers these principles in detail, showing you exactly how to build systems that last. You'll learn not just what tools to use, but how to think about knowledge management for the long term. Start the course →

Your ultimate video course to mastering Personal Knowledge Management (PKM)

Start the Knowledge Management for Beginners course →

The Mindset Shift

The real difference between building for months and building for decades isn't technical—it's psychological.

Building for months means asking: "What's convenient right now?"
Building for decades means asking: "What serves my future self?"

It's the difference between renting and owning. When you rent your knowledge base from a SaaS provider, convenience is great until the landlord raises rent or sells the building. When you own your knowledge base through local storage and open formats, you have freedom—and responsibility.

Most people don't want that responsibility. They want tools to "just work" without thinking about data formats, backup strategies, or portability. I understand that. Convenience is seductive.

But convenience is expensive when you pay the price in lost knowledge, wasted migration time, and feeling trapped by past choices.

As I always say: Data ownership trumps convenience when building systems for life.

The AI Integration Question

Everyone wants to add AI to their knowledge system. Most are doing it wrong.

It's perfectly OK to use AI. And it's understandable that you want an app that integrates direct support for AI or enables you to use your own. But...

What's not okay is replacing your own thinking. Let me repeat that: writing your notes is thinking. When AI writes your notes for you, you're outsourcing the very activity that builds understanding and memory. The writing is the point.

Also, consider the case of Obsidian. Out of the box it has ZERO support for AI. Is it a problem? Absolutely not. Why? Because it's all just Markdown files on your computer, and it means that you can actually point ANY AI at your knowledge base and it just works. Now compare that with a SaaS like Tana that natively integrates AI support. Yes it provides AI support, but on their terms, with their own way of seeing things, with their own feature set. With Tana, you can only use the AIs they enable you to use. It's a VERY different value proposition.

Putting It All Together

If you're realizing your current system isn't built for the long term, don't panic. You don't have to rebuild everything overnight.

Start by auditing your current setup against the framework above. Identify your biggest risks. Then address them one at a time.

Ready to Build a System That Lasts Decades?

I've created comprehensive resources to help you build knowledge systems the right way:

📚 Knowledge Management for Beginners - Master the Principles

Understanding WHY matters as much as knowing HOW. This comprehensive course teaches you:

How to evaluate tools for long-term viability
The File over app principle and why it protects your knowledge
Strategic thinking about PKM systems
How to avoid common traps and pitfalls
Frameworks for making decisions you won't regret

🎯 Obsidian Starter Kit - Your Complete PKM Foundation

Stop reinventing the wheel. Get a battle-tested system built on long-term principles from day one. The OSK gives you:

A complete, ready-to-use Obsidian vault designed for decades of use
Pre-configured systems following the File over app principle
Strategic plugin selection that maintains portability
Templates, workflows, and best practices from 25+ years of knowledge management

This is the system I wish I'd had when I started. It saves you years of trial and error.

Get the Obsidian Starter Kit →

🚀 Knowledge Worker Kit - Go Beyond PKM

Once your knowledge system is solid, level up your entire productivity system. The Knowledge Worker Kit covers various topics such as Personal Knowledge Management (PKM), Personal Organization, Focus, Time Management, Project Management, Productivity, Priotirization, and everything you need to thrive as a modern knowledge worker.

Explore the Knowledge Worker Kit →

Remember: You're building infrastructure for your thinking. That deserves the same long-term planning you'd give to any important life investment.

Conclusion

The knowledge you're building today—will it serve you in 2035? Will your future self thank you for thinking ahead, or curse you for chasing convenience?

Most people will keep chasing the newest tool, the prettiest interface, the most impressive features (i.e., they suffer from the Shiny object syndrome). They'll rebuild their systems every few years (at best), each time losing a bit more of what they'd carefully constructed.

Smart people will ask different questions. They'll think in decades. They'll choose data ownership over convenience. They'll build on foundations that can support a lifetime of knowledge.

The difference between these paths isn't technical skill or resources. It's simply taking the time to think long-term about something that matters.

And here's what you need to understand: the ROI of PKM isn't immediate. When you start, your system has little value. You don't know what to capture, how to organize, how to connect ideas. It feels like work without payoff. Many people give up here. But those who persist reach a critical mass where the system starts creating real leverage. The connections multiply. The insights compound. The value grows exponentially. This doesn't happen in weeks. It happens over months and years. But it does happen, if you build on principles that last.

Your knowledge base is too important to build on quicksand. Give it the solid foundation it deserves.

Start building for decades, not months.

That's it for today! ✨

Obsidian Starter Kit 3.0.2 is Live 🎉

Sebastien Dubois — Tue, 02 Dec 2025 15:26:41 GMT

I’ve released v3.0.2 of the Obsidian Starter Kit today.

Jump straight to stress-free note-making with Obsidian

https://notes.dsebastien.net/30+Areas/33+Permanent+notes/33.04+Creations/Products/Obsidian+Starter+Kit/Release+Notes/Obsidian+Starter+Kit+-+Release+Notes+-+3.0.2

What's New:

TaskNotes v4.1.1 with enhanced task management capabilities
Calendar integration with Google Calendar and Microsoft Calendar (OAuth 2.0)
Smart goal linking with intelligent autosuggest filtering
Web Viewer core plugin enabled by default
Obsidian Bases Expert prompt for AI-powered base creation
All community plugins updated to latest versions
Improved path configuration for cleaner links
Comprehensive migration guide

TaskNotes v4: Your Task Management Gets Supercharged

TaskNotes v4 brings significant improvements to how you manage tasks within OSK.

This new version includes first-class support for Obsidian Bases and includes six new dedicated Obsidian Bases:

Agenda View - Focus on what's coming up
Calendar View - See the big picture
Kanban View - Visualize workflow stages
Mini Calendar - Quick date reference
Relationships View - Understand task dependencies
Tasks View - Classic task list management

These templates are located in `50 Resources/54 Templates/TaskNotes/Views/` and can be customized to match your exact workflow needs.

Note that the Actions Base already includes the most important ones.

Smart Goal Linking

The `related_goals` field now has intelligent autosuggest filtering. When you link tasks to goals, OSK automatically suggests only notes tagged with `type/goal` from the `20 Actions/21 Goals` folder.

No more scrolling through your entire vault. Just the goals that matter.

Calendar Integration: Your External Calendar Meets Your PKM

This is pretty cool. TaskNotes V4 supports integrating your Google Calendar or Microsoft Calendar directly using OAuth 2.0 authentication.

Your calendar events live in one place. Your tasks and projects live in another. This disconnect creates friction, missed meetings, and mental overhead. Not anymore.

With calendar integration:

See all your events directly in your Actions Base
Create tasks from calendar events with one click
Automatically link tasks to scheduled time blocks
Maintain a single source of truth for your schedule

The integration uses OAuth 2.0 for secure, two-way synchronization:

Your credentials are stored locally in Obsidian
Authentication tokens refresh automatically
You can disconnect anytime

The Actions Base becomes your true command center; where tasks, projects, goals, and calendar events converge.

I’ve published a tutorial explaining how to set it up: https://notes.dsebastien.net/30+Areas/33+Permanent+notes/33.04+Creations/Products/Obsidian+Starter+Kit/Tutorials/Obsidian+Starter+Kit+-+Tutorial+-+Integrating+the+TaskNotes+calendar+with+your+external+calendar

Better Links

I’ve also updated the path configuration to use shortest paths when possible. This makes links much easier to read in source mode and limits the ways in which you can break your links when moving things around.

Obsidian Bases Expert Prompt

If you work with Obsidian Bases (and you should—they're powerful), I’ve added an AI prompt that helps you create and improve bases more effectively.

Located in `50 Resources/56 Prompts/Obsidian Bases Expert (Prompt).md`, this prompt teaches AI assistants the correct syntax, functions, and best practices for Obsidian Bases.

Release notes

Migration guide

https://notes.dsebastien.net/30+Areas/33+Permanent+notes/33.04+Creations/Products/Obsidian+Starter+Kit/Migration+Guides/Obsidian+Starter+Kit+-+Migration+Guide+-+v3.0.1+to+v3.0+2

Jump straight to stress-free note-making with Obsidian

Subscribe to Sébastien Dubois on Gumroad

Black Friday Sale - 24H Left 🤯

Sebastien Dubois — Tue, 02 Dec 2025 10:50:00 GMT

The clock is ticking! Only 24H left to benefit from my Black Friday offer.

Don't miss this opportunity. Invest in your future self, instead of buying things you don't need! 😂 🚀

You can get 30% off all my products using the following discount code in my store: BLACKFRIDAY2025 over at https://store.dsebastien.net

Organize your thoughts, life & work⚡

You Think Faster Than You TypeYour Keyboard Is Costing You Hours Every WeekPress. Speak. Release. Your words appear exactly where you need them.Works in every app. Runs on your computer. Costs $49, one time.No cloud. No subscription. Just your voice and your computer.Join other early adopters who’ve already ditched typingOne-time payment. No subscription required.Your Reality Right NowTyping is slow.You know exactly what you want to say. The words are RIGHT THERE in your head.But your fingers can’t keep up. Getting it from your brain to the screen takes forever.Your fingers hunt for keys. Autocorrect changes words you didn’t want changed. You stop to fix typos. You lose your train of thought.Five minutes later, you’ve written three sentences.This happens dozens of times every single day.The bottleneck isn’t your brain. It’s your keyboard.The average person types 40 words per minute.You speak at 150 words per minute.That’s not a small difference. That’s nearly 4x faster.Picture This InsteadYou, tomorrowYou open an email.You see a message that needs a thoughtful response. The kind that would normally take you ten minutes to type carefully.Instead of typing you just press and hold Ctrl+Space.You speak, naturally, like you’re talking to a friend: “Hey Alexis. Thanks for reaching out about this. I’ve been thinking about the same thing, and here’s what I think we should do...“You release the keys.The words appear. Exactly where your cursor is. Exactly what you said.You read it once, make a tiny edit, and hit send. Done!You just saved five minutes.Now multiply that by every email, every message, every document, every blog post, every AI prompt, etc. Everything you write in a week.How many hours will you get back?Instead of hunting for keys while your brain is three sentences ahead, your words flow at the speed of thought.Instead of ending your day with tired hands and a sore neck from looking down at the keyboard, you finish with energy.That’s what changes.This Already ExistsIt’s called Knowii Voice AI.It’s voice-to-text application that runs entirely on your computer.One keyboard shortcut. Any application. Complete privacy.Here’s how it works:Press and hold Ctrl+Space.The app starts recording your voice. You’ll hear a subtle sound so you know it’s listening.Speak naturally.Like you’re talking to someone. Don’t slow down. Don’t enunciate weirdly. Just talk.Release the key.AI transcribes your words (on your computer, offline) and pastes them exactly where your cursor is.That’s it.No cloud. No lag. No usage limits. No monthly fee.Works in Gmail, Notion, Microsoft Word, Microsot Teams, Slack, Discord, WhatsApp, Telegram, VS Code, your terminal, ... Literally any application where you can type.What Makes This DifferentYou actually own itPay $49 once. Own it forever. Every update, every new feature, included.No subscription. No usage caps. No “premium tier.“It works in every appNot just Google Docs. Not just Chrome.Every. Single. Application.If you can put your cursor there and type, you can speak there instead.It’s voice-to-text done right.Your data stays yoursThe AI models run on your computer by default, not in the cloud.Your voice recordings are processed and saved locally.Nothing leaves your machine unless you want to.No internet required after you download the AI model once. No servers. No cloud processing. No tracking. No telemetry. No API calls.When I say private, I mean private.But you will also have the choice to use cloud services if you want or need to.You can see everything you’ve ever saidEvery transcription is saved and searchable. Need to find that thing you said three weeks ago? Search for it.It’s not just a transcription tool. It’s external memory you can rely on.Want to copy an old transcription again? Double-click it.Need to make edits? I’ve got you covered.Need to clear space? Delete the audio files but keep the text.Don’t want to save transcriptions? Just disable the feature.You control which AI model to useMultiple models are supported, and there will be many more over time.Download a small and fast model if you want near-instant results. Download a larger and more accurate one if you’re transcribing technical content or accents and have a powerful-enough computer.Models load when you need them, unload when you don’t.Switch between the models you’ve downloaded anytime easily.Various supported languagesMany languages are supported by different voice-to-text AI models and you can speak in one language and get transcriptions in another.Who This Is Really ForYou communicate for workEmails. Slack. Teams. Support tickets.By noon you’ve typed 5,000 words and your hands hurt.By 3pm you’re abbreviating responses because you’re tired of typing.With this: Your responses are faster and more thorough because speaking doesn’t drain you like typing does. You clear your inbox in half the time. You leave work with energy.Your keyboard slows you downYour ideas come faster than your fingers can type. It’s frustrating. You know you’re wasting your time.With this: You can finally keep up with your mind.You want to fully leverage AIYou’re using AI, but it takes you too long to prepare your prompts. You’re the bottleneck, AI isn’t.With this: You drastically increase the pace at which you give your instructions to AI, and you finally harness the full power of AI.You create contentBlog posts. Articles. Scripts. Social posts.You stare at the blank page because the gap between thought and text is exhausting.You have ideas, but getting them into words drains you.With this: You speak your first draft like you’re explaining it to a friend. Editing is easy. It’s the getting started that this fixes. Suddenly you’re 1,200 words deep and wondering where the last 15 minutes went.You write code for a livingDocumentation takes forever to write and you avoid it.Code comments feel like a chore.Commit messages end up rushed and vague.Pull request descriptions are copy-pasted templates.With this: You speak your documentation while reviewing your own code. Your commit messages are detailed because speaking is effortless. Your PR descriptions actually explain the context because it takes 30 seconds to speak it, not 10 minutes to type it.You care about privacyYou know what “we may use your data to improve our models” means.You’re not interested in your voice recordings training someone’s AI.With this: Your data is your data. On your machine. Under your control. No compromises.What’s IncludedFull access to Knowii Voice AIThe Windows version is available immediately.Buy your copy. Download today. Use it immediately.Linux and MacOS versions coming soon.Lifetime updatesEvery new feature, every improvement, every bug fix. Forever. No additional charges.All future featuresEverything on the roadmap is included in your $49 purchase.Direct support from an actual humanEmail me with questions or problems. I respond personally. No ticket systems, no chatbots.Knowii is a community, and you’ll be one of us.30-day money-back guaranteeTry it for a month. If you don’t love it, email me. I’ll refund you, no questions asked.$49, onceNot $49 per month.Not $49 per year.$49, one time, forever.Compare that to cloud voice-to-text services at $15-30/month. That’s $180-360 per year. $900-1,800 over five years.You’ll save that subscription money and actually own your tool.What’s Coming (Included In Your Purchase)I’m actively building this. Here’s what’s next:Linux supportFull feature parity for Linux usersmacOS supportFull feature parity for Mac usersSupport for more AI modelsMore AI models will be added for local and remote transcription and post-processing.Smart AI-enabled post-processingApply custom transformations to your transcriptions: remove filler words, fix commongly misrecognized words, use AI, ...Configure AI-enabled pipelines, detect applications/context and go from raw transcriptions to specialized outputs.Live transcriptionSee words appear in real-time as you speak, not after you finishVoice Trigger Words/PhrasesKeyboard-less mode where a trigger word or phrase initiates recording and transcription.Voice Commands & Action SystemUse your voice to trigger concrete actions.Cross-Device Command & ControlUse the app on one device to command other ones.Mute/Pause Media while recordingDisable noise while you’re recording to get the best possible transcriptions.File transcriptionDrag and drop audio files (meeting recordings, interviews, podcasts) to transcribe themInternationalizationDeeper support for translations.Different keyboard shortcuts that transcribe in different languages.Auto update systemReceive new versions automatically.Portable VersionUncompress. Run. Transcribe. Everything stored in one folder.CLI and APIIntegrate Knowii Voice AI with other applications and systems.Usage StatisticsGet statistics about your usage.All of this, and everything else I build for Knowii Voice AI, is included in your purchase. No upgrade fees.How It Actually Works (Technical Details)Knowii Voice AI uses state-of-the-art speech recognition AI models such as Whisper and Parakeet. The same technology that powers professional transcription services, but running locally on your computer.You download the model once (2-10 GB depending on which model you choose).When you record your voice, the audio stays on your computer and gets transcribed by the local AI model running on your computer. No Internet required. No cloud API. No sending your data anywhere.If your computer has an NVIDIA GPU, transcription is accelerated and near-instant.If you’re on CPU-only, it takes a few seconds. Still fast enough to be useful.You can choose between multiple models based on your priorities:Small models - Fast, near-instant results, good accuracyMedium models - Balanced speed and accuracyLarge models - Slower but more accurate, great for technical content or accentsSwitch between them anytime. The app manages loading and unloading automatically.Common QuestionsIs this actually private?Yes. Everything runs on your computer. Your voice recordings are stored locally. The AI model runs locally. Nothing is sent to any server. You can run it with your internet connection disabled and it works perfectly.Support will be added for remote/cloud-based AI models, but the default will always be local-first.Does it work offline?Yes. After you download the AI model once (it’s a one-time thing, 2-10 GB depending on the chosen model), everything runs on your computer. Your laptop could be in airplane mode and it would still work perfectly.How fast is it?Depends on your computer, which model you pick and how long you speak. On a decent laptop with the small model, you’ll get results in 1-3 seconds for a few sentences. With GPU acceleration, it’s near-instant. Larger models take a few seconds longer but are more accurate. There’s a model for every preference.How accurate is it?Very. Whisper and Parakeet are among the best free speech recognition models available today. Accuracy depends on audio quality, background noise, and which model you use. Larger models are more accurate but slower. In practice, it’s accurate enough for daily use without constant corrections.What languages are supported?All major languages: English, Spanish, French, German, Italian, Portuguese, Dutch, Russian, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, and many more. You select your language in settings.Note that different models support different languages. Some also have specific variants for certain languages.Will this work on my computer?If you’re running Windows 10/11, yes. macOS and Linux support are coming. You don’t need a powerful computer, but GPU acceleration helps (NVIDIA CUDA). It works fine on CPU-only systems, just a bit slower.What microphone do I need?Whatever you already have. Built-in laptop mics work. USB mics work. Headset mics work. Better microphones produce better results, but you don’t need to buy anything special.Can I customize the keyboard shortcut?Yes. The default is Ctrl+Space, but you can change it to whatever you want in settings.What about my clipboard?The app saves your clipboard before pasting, then restores it after. Your copied content isn’t lost.Can I use this at work?Yes. Commercial license included. Use it for personal projects, professional work, client communications, whatever you need.What if I have problems?Email me. I’ll help. If something’s broken, I’ll do my best to fix it. If something’s confusing, I’ll explain it. You’re not alone.What’s the catch with Early Access?There’s no catch. The product works now. I’m calling it Early Access because I’m actively building new features based on user feedback. You get to help shape what gets built next, and you get the lowest price it will ever be.Will the price increase?Yes. This is Early Access pricing. When the product leaves beta, the price will go up. Buy now to lock in lifetime access at this price. No future charges, ever.What’s your refund policy?30-day money-back guarantee. If you don’t like it, email me and I’ll refund you. No argument, no hassle.How does this relate to your other products and services?Knowii Voice AI is part of a growing ecosystem of tools and services I’m building around the Knowii Community(https://www.store.dsebastien.net/l/knowii).This is how I build: interconnected systems that amplify the way you think and work. Voice AI helps you capture thoughts faster. The Knowii Community helps you organize and leverage that knowledge. The Knowledge Worker Kit(https://store.dsebastien.net/l/knowledge-worker-kit) gives you the frameworks to use it all effectively.The NumbersAverage typing speed: 40 words per minuteAverage speaking speed: 150 words per minuteYou speak 3.75x faster than you type.If you write for 2 hours per day: Typing: 4,800 words Speaking: 18,000 words That’s 13,200 more words in the same time.Or: accomplish the same 4,800 words in 32 minutes instead of 2 hours.You get back 88 minutes per day.7.3 hours per week.That’s nearly a full workday you’re not spending typing.Over a year, that’s 380 hours.What would you do with an extra 380 hours?What It CostsMost voice-to-text services:$15-30 per month, forever.That’s $180-360 per year.Over five years: $900-1,800.Plus, you don’t own it. Stop paying, lose access.Plus, your voice goes to their servers.Plus, usage limits and throttling.Knowii Voice AI:$49, once.Own it forever.All updates included.Complete privacy.No usage limits.The difference over five years: $851-1,751 saved.Who I AmI’m Sébastien Dubois, a Knowledge Management Expert, Software Architect, and Author with 20+ years in IT.I’ve been a software developer, technical lead, solution architect, and CTO. I wrote and published multiple books (e.g., Learn TypeScript by Building Web Applications, Dev Concepts) and various tools for knowledge workers.I founded DeveloPassion back in 2019 and created the Knowii Community**, a community of practice helping thousands of professionals break free from information overload.My mission is simple: help knowledge workers achieve clarity with systems that actually work.I’ve built the Obsidian Starter Kit(https://obsidianstarterkit.com), the Knowledge WorkerKit(https://store.dsebastien.net/l/knowledge-worker-kit), taught courses on Personal Knowledge Management, and created tools that help people organize, capture, and leverage their knowledge effectively.I work ~50% on entrepreneurship and ~50 as an employee. I’m not VC-backed. I’m just an independent maker building tools that respect users instead of extracting from them.Why I Built ThisI tried every voice-to-text tool out there. Cloud services that cost $20/month. Browser extensions that only work in Chrome. Mobile apps that don’t talk to my computer.They all had the same problems:They sent my voice to someone else’s servers. They cost money forever. They had usage limits. They only worked in specific apps.I wanted something different.Something that respects privacy.Something I could own, not rent.Something that works everywhere.Something that supported state-of-the-art AI models.Something that worked seamlessly across applications.Something I could leverage to better leverage AI.I couldn’t find it. So I built Knowii Voice AI.Knowii Voice AI is what I wanted to exist in the world.Privacy-first. Runs entirely on your computer. Pay once, own it forever. Works in literally every application.As a knowledge worker myself, I know how crucial speed and efficiency are. The keyboard is the biggest bottleneck between your thoughts and getting things done. Voice is the answer — but only if it’s private, reliable, and actually works everywhere you need it.This tool is part of a growing ecosystem I’m building around the Knowii Community. It’s designed to integrate with everything else I create — tools and services that work together to help you capture, organize, and leverage knowledge more effectively.If you’ve been frustrated by the same things, this is for you.If building systems that respect users instead of extracting from them resonates with you, I’d love for you to try it and support my work.— SébastienGet Started in 5 MinutesStep 1: Purchase, download and installBuy on Gumroad, get instant access. Download. Install in 60 seconds.Step 2: Quick setupOpen the app. Pick your language. Choose an AI model. Download it (one time, 2-10 GB).Step 3: Press Ctrl+Space and speakPress Ctrl+Space anywhere. Speak. Release.Done.No account creation. No registration. No complex setup.You’re transcribing your voice in under 5 minutes from purchase.Two ChoicesKeep typing.Keep spending hours every day pressing keys.Keep getting tired hands and tired eyes.Keep feeling the gap between how fast you think and how slow your words appear.Or speak instead.Get those hours back.Finish writing tasks faster.Stop fighting your keyboard.$49, one time. Yours forever.Get Knowii Voice AIWindows 10/11 version available now. Linux and macOS coming soon.30-day money-back guarantee. Lifetime updates included.Platform Support✓ Windows 10/11 - Full support, all features

🎙️ Knowii Voice AI

Free yourself from the keyboard.

Knowii Voice AI

Knowii Knowledge System: Tools + Courses + Community

🎯 Knowii — The Complete Knowledge System

Community + Courses + Tools in one package.

Knowledge Master tier includes:

Obsidian Starter Kit
AI Guides
Knowledge Worker Kit
PKM Library
Support
All future tools & content
Everything I've built in one package

Transform Information Overload Into Clarity with a Complete Knowledge SystemAccess an All-in-One Solution: Community + Premium Courses + Professional ToolsInformation chaos is silently sabotaging your productivity, creativity, and peace of mind. You’re drowning in scattered notes, forgotten insights, and constant context switching, watching valuable ideas slip through the cracks daily.What if you could transform that chaos into your greatest advantage with a proven, ready-to-implement system?Knowii delivers everything you need in one integrated package: A supportive community of fellow knowledge masters Premium courses sharing hard earned wisdom, worth hundreds of dollars Professional knowledge tools and templates Implementation guidance and direct support This isn’t just a community. It’s a complete knowledge system.Join today, and get access to $150-$500 worth of bonuses, depending on the tier you subscribe to! 🤯Who is this for?The Knowii community brings together leaders, knowledge workers, content creators, and lifelong learners committed to breaking free from information overload to achieve both professional excellence and intentional living.The Knowii community is made up of real people facing everyday knowledge challenges: Knowledge workers trying to keep up with the evolution and real-world impact of AI Overwhelmed Professionals - People drowning in tabs, emails, and Slack messages who want to regain control of their information Career Builders - Individuals actively documenting their expertise to advance professionally and make better workplace decisions Career Changers - People learning new fields who need to organize and connect information across different domains Team Leaders & Managers - People juggling multiple responsibilities who need to track information and priorities, but also share knowledge across teams who struggle with documentation and information silos Executives & Decision-Makers - Professionals who need to quickly synthesize complex information from multiple sources to make confident, timely decisions under pressure Founders & Entrepreneurs - Business owners and startup creators juggling investor decks, customer feedback, market research, and product plans who need systems to keep it all organized and actionable Consultants and freelancers juggling multiple client projects who need to quickly recall specific details without digging through old emails Researchers & Students - People who highlight books, take course notes, and need to turn that raw material into lasting knowledge Subject matter experts who struggle to organize years of accumulated knowledge in a way they can actually share with others Content Creators - Bloggers, newsletter writers, and course builders who need reliable systems to produce consistent, quality content, without burning out Growth-Oriented Minds - People committed to continuous improvement and development Knowledge Seekers - From curious beginners to seasoned experts committed to lifelong learning Systematic Thinkers - People who value structured approaches to organizing information and ideas Intentional Professionals - Leaders, knowledge workers, and creators building purposeful systems Clarity Enthusiasts - Those seeking to break free from information overload and mental clutter Balance Seekers - Individuals balancing personal and professional lives who need efficient systems that don’t consume all their time Note-Takers & Organizers - From beginners with messy desktop folders to Obsidian power users with thousands of linked notes Tool Explorers - Folks who’ve tried Notion, Roam, Obsidian, and more, seeking practical advice on what actually works Practical Implementers - Those who transform theory into actionable systems and workflows Generous Contributors - Community members who share insights, resources, and experiences Anyone who’s ever thought “I know I saved that somewhere...” while frantically searching We’re not productivity gurus with perfect systems. We’re regular people who care about taming information overload, building solid systems and sharing what works.Why Knowii Exists 41% of knowledge workers feel overwhelmed by information daily The average professional experiences 23 context switches each day 60% of valuable ideas are lost due to poor knowledge management Most people spend more time searching for information than actually using it You can learn more about Knowii here: https://www.dsebastien.net/communityChoose Your Transformation PathExplorerYour entry point to breaking free from information chaos with access to foundational resources, general discussions, and a supportive community of fellow knowledge workers.You get: Access to general discussions Knowledge Management guidance and tutorials Curated content Limited resource library access Introductory templates Community help for common problems Free bonuses Beginner’s Guide to Obsidian Database of Knowledge Management tools Knowledge Management System Checklist It’s enough to start fixing your information overload without a big commitment.Knowledge Builder: Integrated Knowledge System FoundationFor those ready to build reliable knowledge systems that stickEverything from Explorer, plus: Premium Community Resources: Access to live events and video recordings (i.e., masterclasses, workshops, Q&As, knowledge-sharing sessions, live streams, etc), templates, workflows, guides, private community spaces, etc Tools & Courses Package: Immediate access to the Obsidian Starter Kit and Obsidian Starter Course, a comprehensive foundation for your knowledge system Direct Access to Experts: Access to multiple Knowledge experts Monthly Community Challenges: Structured activities to build your knowledge management skills Access to DeveloPassion’s Newsletter Archives (~200+ editions) Early Access: Be first to try new community features and content Total Value: $150+ in premium tools & courses included with your membership!Perfect for: Professionals serious about developing systematic knowledge management practices to transform their work and lifeKnowledge Master: The Ultimate Knowledge SystemFor those committed to complete knowledge transformation with our most comprehensive package.All-inclusive access for maximum results with minimum friction.EVERYTHING in Knowledge Builder, PLUS: FULL Community Access: Exclusive events (e.g., AMAs, group coaching sessions, mastermind sessions, etc) and community spaces Complete Course Library: Knowledge Management for Beginners, Obsidian Starter Course, and all future courses ALL Knowledge Tools: Knowledge Worker Kit, Obsidian Starter Kit, Personal Knowledge Management Library, AI Ghostwriter Guide, and all future tools Implementation Support: Direct guidance and quarterly check-ins to ensure your system succeeds Experimental Content: Early access to cutting-edge PKM methods and integrations And more to come! Total value of the included bonuses: ~$500.These aren’t separate products. They’re components of one cohesive system designed to work together seamlessly. The courses teach you the frameworks, the tools provide the implementation, and the community supports your ongoing mastery.Perfect for: Serious professionals and content creators who want complete transformation of their knowledge workflows and maximum clarity in work and lifeYour Complete System Journey: How Everything Works Together1. Break Free From Information ChaosDiscover proven systems to capture, organize, and leverage what truly matters, eliminating mental clutter.2. Build Your Knowledge Command CenterCreate your personal knowledge ecosystem with the right tools and workflows that evolve with your needs.3. Transform Information Into InsightsMaster techniques to connect ideas, generate insights, and unlock creativity that would otherwise remain hidden.4. Apply Systems to Real-World ChallengesImplement your knowledge framework to professional scenarios, making better decisions and advancing your career.5. Achieve Zen ProductivityIntegrate knowledge management into a holistic approach prioritizing clarity, focus, and mental wellbeing.6. Create Content With ConfidenceBuild reliable systems to transform your knowledge into valuable content consistently and efficiently.Before Knowii... “I had 2,000+ bookmarks across 3 browsers and couldn’t find anything” “My notes were scattered across Evernote, Apple Notes, and dozens of paper notebooks” “I’d read great books but couldn’t remember or apply their key insights” After implementing the complete Knowii system: “I now have one central knowledge hub where everything is connected and accessible” “The Obsidian Starter Kit gave me a ready-made structure that I could actually use on day one” “The courses taught me how to implement the system, while the community helped me troubleshoot” Past events & recordingsYou can find the list of past events (i.e., masterclasses, workshops, Q&As, knowledge-sharing sessions, live streams, etc) over here: Knowii Community Events.Knowledge Builders and Knowledge Masters have access access to the video recordings 🤩.Created by Sébastien DuboisKnowii is led by Sébastien Dubois, Knowledge Management expert, coach and author dedicated to helping professionals break free from information overload. With years of experience building systems that turn overwhelming information into clear insights and confident decisions, Sébastien has helped hundreds transform their relationship with knowledge.Testimonials”You’ve given me a lot of inspiration in how to actually do that as well simply through everything that you’ve built! Happy that I found your work and came across this community - such a gold mine 🙏” — SofiaFrequently Asked Questions (FAQ)How is Knowii different from other online communities?Knowii isn’t just a discussion forum—it’s a structured transformation system. Each space is designed to build on the others, creating a comprehensive journey from information chaos to intentional clarity.I’m already overwhelmed. Will joining another platform help or just add more noise?Great question! Unlike most platforms that add to your digital noise, Knowii is specifically designed to reduce overwhelm by giving you systems to organize all your existing information sources. Sébastien has helped hundreds feel less overwhelmed through Knowledge Management coaching, systems and guides.Can I change tiers or cancel if needed?Absolutely. You can upgrade, downgrade, or cancel at any time. For annual plans, you’ll maintain access until the end of your billing period.What if I’m not sure which tier is right for me?Start with the Explorer tier or the Knowledge Builder tier. You can always upgrade if you find value in the community.Do I really get immediate access to all the courses and tools mentioned?Yes! Unlike most communities that charge separately for courses and tools, your Knowii membership (especially Knowledge Master tier) includes immediate access to everything listed. No additional purchases required.How do the courses and tools integrate with the community?The entire system is designed to work together. You’ll learn concepts in the courses, implement them using the tools and templates, and get support and inspiration from the community—creating a complete knowledge transformation pipeline.If I’m already using Obsidian (or another tool), will these resources still help me?Absolutely! The courses and tools are designed to enhance whatever system you’re currently using. Whether you’re just starting or already have thousands of notes, the Knowii system will help you organize and leverage them more effectively.Ready to Transform Mental Chaos Into Clarity?The difference between feeling overwhelmed and feeling in control isn’t about having less information—it’s about having a proven, integrated system.Knowii doesn’t just talk about better systems—it gives you the entire package: The community that supports you The courses that teach you The tools that implement it All in one comprehensive, ready-to-use solution.

📚 Knowledge Management Course

Complete video course to build your second brain.

You'll learn:

How to capture & organize knowledge
How to connect & leverage ideas
Building a system that scales with your career
Advanced techniques

150+ students so far.

Your ultimate video course to mastering Personal Knowledge Management (PKM)

Knowledge Worker Kit and Private Community (BETA)

📚 Knowledge Worker Kit

For knowledge workers who want the complete system.

This is a living project with:

Deep dive guides on PKM, time management, project management
Templates & systems
Lifetime access
Private community access

Buy once. Access everything. Forever.

🚀 Obsidian Starter Kit

Skip the months of trial and error.

Get a ready-to-use Obsidian vault with:

40+ smart templates
Complete action system
Find any note in 3 seconds
First-class Bases support

1,000+ happy customers.

It's the PKM foundation I wish I had when I started.

Jump straight to stress-free note-making with Obsidian

Obsidian Starter Kit 3.0.2 is Live 🎉

Latest release just dropped:

Obsidian Starter Kit 3.0.2 is now available

🎬 Obsidian Starter Course

2h20 of hands-on video content about Obsidian.

Perfect if you:

Just switched to Obsidian
Want to understand PKM, Zettelkasten, PARA, and Johnny Decimal
Want guided walkthroughs

Stop spending weeks figuring out the "right" approach.

Obsidian Starter Course

Build Your AI Ghostwriter: The Complete Guide to Creating an AI Assistant That Writes Like You

🤖 AI Ghostwriter Guide

I've spent months building an AI assistant that writes exactly like me.

This guide shows you how to create one for yourself:

Train AI on YOUR voice & style
Works with any AI

The result? Content that sounds like you—not like everyone else.

What is this?Transform any AI into your personal ghostwriter that writes with your exact voice, style, and expertise using this proven step-by-step system.🚀 Join Knowii as a Knowledge Master and get this along with SO much more!Who This Is For✅ Perfect if you: Create content regularly (articles, essays, newsletters, social media posts, etc) Want to scale your content using AI without losing your unique voice Spend too much time editing AI slop-generated content Have products or services to promote through content Want to build a sustainable content creation system ❌ Not right if you: Never create content or have no interest in writing Prefer to write everything manually without AI assistance Don’t have existing writing samples to analyze Are looking for a “magic button” solution without any setup Stop Using AI Like a Dummy. Start Training ItYou’ve tried them all: ChatGPT. Claude. Gemini. But every time, you feel the same frustration: “This doesn’t sound like me at all.“The AI gives you generic text, content that could apply to anyone. You spend more time editing than you would writing from scratch. I’ve been there as well, but that was a long time ago!Here’s the problem: You’re using AI like everyone else—throwing random prompts at it and hoping for magic to happen. But that’s not the way it works!The solution? You have to TEACH AI to write like YOU.What If AI Could Capture Your Exact Voice?Imagine opening your AI assistant and getting content that: ✅ Sounds like YOU ✅ Uses your signature sentences and personality quirks ✅ Understands you and your unique perspective ✅ Knows your content strategy and helps you create highly relevant content for your target audiences ✅ Knows your business, your brand, your products and services, your audience, etc ✅ Creates content across all your formats (articles, essays, newsletters, social media posts, scripts, ...) ✅ Evolves over time Sounds too good to be true? Well this isn’t fantasy. It’s exactly what I’ve built for myself. And now, I’m showing you how to do the same.The System You NeedAt this point, my AI Ghostwriter has helped me write hundreds of pieces of content: notes, articles, newsletters, podcasts, course scripts, emails, letters, etc.I’ve spent months perfecting this system and approach. I’m relying on it daily, and thus I know from experience that it works flawlessly. The cool part is that I’ve documented it all along the way, and thus I can teach you how to create the same for yourself.This isn’t about better prompts (though you’ll get those too). This is about creating an AI Ghostwriter that understands you and your needs.Why This WorksMost people make these mistakes: ❌ Using generic prompts hoping to get unique content ❌ Starting over with new prompts for every piece of content ❌ Settling for “good enough” content that needs heavy editing ❌ Abandoning AI because “it doesn’t work” My system fixes all of this by: ✅ Creating a comprehensive description of your personality, writing style, rules, content strategy, content types, and more! ✅ Training AI to adapt to your style, not the other way around ✅ Building a system that delivers high quality results and improves over time ✅ Establishing consistency across all content types What’s IncludedYou’ll get the complete step-by-step guide you can follow to create your own AI Ghostwriter, including: Clear explanations Many AI prompts you can use to help you create the documents you need Document templates Advanced techniques for power users 💡 Bonus Resources Private community access for questions, updates and knowledge sharing Real examples taken from my own implementation Frequently Asked QuestionsQ: Do I need deep technical skills to implement this? A: No. There are advanced options for power users, but the core system works with simple copy-paste/upload on any AI platform.Q: Which AI platforms does this work with? A: ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, DeepSeek, NotebookLM, ... Basically, any AI that accepts custom instructions and/or file uploads.Q: How long does it take to set up? A: Basic setup takes 2-3 hours. Advanced implementation with Model Context Protocol (MCP) can take a weekend, but the time savings compound quickly.Q: Will this work for my niche/industry? A: Yes. The system analyzes YOUR writing samples, so it works regardless of your topic, industry, or content type.Q: What if I don’t have enough writing samples? A: Start with what you have. You can still add more later. It’s not a showstopper.Stop settling for generic AI responses. Start creating content that sounds like YOU.

What is this?This is a workshop about life and career design, “how to live a life that feels great” that was recorded in the Knowii Community. Check out the full list here.🚀 Join Knowii as a Knowledge Builder or Knowledge Master and get this along with SO much more!Who is this for?People who feel lost in their life or career, and want to find the right path forward.In this workshop, I’ve shared the approach I recommend to gain more clarity about your needs, your values, your principles, life/career goals, non-goals, and priorities.This won’t magically answer all your questions or solve all your problems, but it might help you better understand where you are, where you want to go, and also help you make the right decisions.“It doesn’t matter where you came from. All that matters is where you are going”Topics covered in this workshop: What clarity is all about What are gravity problems How to determine your Personal Value System How to define your Personal Principles How to create your Personal Manifesto How to find your life’s mission, your Ikigai Why non-goals are important as well Why it’s not too late to make changes How to approach life design How to make better life/work decisions (that you don’t regret) How to leverage Design Thinking and the Design Thinking Process Identifying your 12 favorite questions or problems Why mindfulness is key How to uncover your true motivations Why you should optimize for happiness How to envision your future lives How to create a vision grid for each How to validate/experiment with important life/career changes How to avoid the paradox of choice How to make an actual choice, and move forward The importance of emotional intelligence and gut feelings How to leverage Reverse Goal Setting to identify the path forward What SMART Goals are and why they’re useful How to define SMART life/career goals How to document your goals Which time horizons to consider when setting life/career goals and why they matter How to set the right priorities

📝 Knowii Mini Courses

Deep dives:

Knowii - Clarity 101

Knowii - Personal Organization 101

What is this?This is a workshop about Personal Organization that was recorded in the Knowii Community. Check out the full list here.🚀 Join Knowii as a Knowledge Builder or Knowledge Master and get this workshop PLUS all other recordings, future live events, exclusive community access, and SO much more!Stop drowning in tasks. Start living with intentionAre you tired of feeling overwhelmed despite working hard? Do you struggle to prioritize what truly matters? This 90-minute workshop reveals the exact system I’ve refined over 20+ years to organize EVERYTHING in my personal and professional life.What You’ll Discover:✅ The 3-Pillar Personal Organization System that brings clarity to chaos✅ Self-assessment questions to evaluate your current organization level✅ The Clarity System: From life mission to daily tasks - how to align everything✅ Information Management strategies that go beyond basic file organization✅ Productivity techniques that work WITHOUT relying on willpower or motivation✅ Time management methods including time blocking, Pomodoro, and periodic reviews ✅ Attention & focus strategies to eliminate distractions and enter deep work✅ 40+ frameworks, methods, and mental models you can implement immediatelyWhat’s Included: 📹 Full 90-minute workshop recording 📝 Detailed visual overview of the complete system 🔗 Access to 100+ linked resources and guides 💡 Practical, actionable techniques you can implement TODAY 🎯 Real examples from my own system (no theory without practice!) Who This Is For: People who feel disorganized and overwhelmed, but realize there are solutions out there and want to understand how others do it Knowledge workers drowning in information overload Leaders juggling multiple projects and priorities Solopreneurs trying to manage everything alone Anyone who feels their current “system” is more chaos than clarity A visual overview of the content:

Knowii - Journaling Deep Dive

What is this?This is an workshop about Journaling that was recorded in the Knowii Community. Check out the full list here.During this masterclass, we’ve dived deep into the practice of journaling, covering both theory and practice.🚀 Join Knowii as a Knowledge Builder or Knowledge Master and get this workshop PLUS all other recordings, future live events, exclusive community access, and SO much more!You know that feeling when someone asks “What did you do this week?” and you just... blank?I used to reach the end of months feeling like I’d been busy all the time but couldn’t point to anything meaningful I’d accomplished. Worse, beautiful moments with my family would slip away, forgotten in the rush of daily life.That changed when I started treating my journal not as a diary, but as my personal “operating system”.Here’s what I discovered (and what you’re probably losing right now)Every single day, you have moments of clarity, breakthrough ideas, and experiences that could fuel your growth for months. But your brain literally can’t hold onto most of it.Right now, you’re losing: Those “aha!” moments that hit you in the shower or during your commute Insights from conversations, podcasts, books or articles you read that could change how you approach your work Small wins that prove you’re making progress (even when it doesn’t feel like it) Beautiful moments with people you love Clarity about what actually matters vs. the noise Without a system to capture this stuff, it just... disappears. Forever.Why most journaling advice doesn’t work (and what I do instead)Most people think journaling means writing “Dear Diary” entries about their feelings. That’s not wrong, but it’s missing the real power.I use journaling as the foundation of how I organize my entire life. It’s where I: Capture ideas before they vanish Track progress on what matters Hold myself accountable to my goals Process experiences to learn from them Build a knowledge base that grows over time Find balance between work and leisure Remember what matters This isn’t theory. I’ve been refining this system for over a decade while managing multiple jobs, my company, writing books/articles/newsletters, building and growing communities, developing software, ... It works crazy well. It scales well. And it helps me strive while staying stay sane. It brings clarity, focus, peace and joy to my life.What you’ll learn in this deep diveWhy your brain works against you (and how to work with it instead)I’ll show you the science behind why we forget so much, and how simple journaling techniques can hack your memory and decision-making.The complete system I actually use Daily notes that take a few minutes here and there but change everything “Interstitial journaling” to capture insights without breaking flow Weekly, monthly, and yearly reviews that compound your growth and knowledge How to hold yourself accountable without feeling guilty Ways to preserve beautiful moments you’d otherwise lose ... Real tools and workflowsYou’ll see inside my actual system. I’ll show you exactly how I set up my daily notes, what I capture, questions I ask myself, which tools I’m using, and how everything connects.How it all fits togetherThis isn’t just about journaling in isolation. I’ll show you how it becomes the foundation for better productivity, clearer thinking, and a more intentional life.Who this is forThis will resonate if you: Feel busy all the time but struggle to see your progress Want to be more intentional about how you spend your time Have great ideas that you forget before you can act on them Wish you could remember and build on your experiences Are tired of feeling like life is just happening to you It doesn’t matter if you’ve never journaled before or if you’ve tried and given up. This approach is different.What’s includedWhen you get this workshop, you’ll have: 80-minute video recording where I walk through the complete system live The full system visualization I used during the presentation: a comprehensive diagram showing how everything connects (this alone took me days to create) Complete show notes with the session agenda and key takeaways Access to the knowledge base (hundreds of interconnected notes) from my personal knowledge system: every single concept, method, and technique I reference gets you a direct link to the full explanation, connected to many other ideas that you can dive into if you’re ready to go further (e.g., about Personal Knowledge Management) Real examples from my actual daily, weekly, and periodic notes (anonymized but authentic) You’re getting the keys to my entire knowledge base, the foundation of my own system.Why I’m sharing thisI genuinely believe that most people are living below their potential. Not because they lack talent or drive, but because they lack systems to capture and build on their experiences.I’ve been fortunate to think about sustainable and scalable systems for many years. First for designing a life I love. Second, through my work as a system engineer, software developer and solution architect. But also as an entrepreneur, applying my approach to diverse challenges such as creating/growing my own company, building startups, writing books, articles, newsletters, knowledge systems, ... None of that happened by accident. It happened because I developed systems to stay clear on what matters, track my progress, and learn at every step.Journaling is the foundation of all of it.If you’re ready to stop living in reactive mode and start building something intentional, this workshop will show you exactly how to begin.Here’s a Visual overview of the presented system:While exploring this complete system, I have discussed: The journaling practice The problems it addresses & its benefits The approach I recommend What it looks like in practice How this approach relates/integrates with... Knowledge Management Knowledge Work Learning Personal Organization Productivity ... How to get started How to develop your own practice Tools you can use ... Visual overview of the topics:Example ResourcesHere are some of the resources that have been explored during this workshop. Feel free to explore ❤️ Angles to consider when thinking about the value of a journal Benefits of journaling Elements of a journal How to find inspiration for journaling How to get started with journaling Journaling prompts Knowledge Graph (KG) Knowledge Ingestion Process Knowledge rollover through Periodic Reviews Morning pages My Template for Daily Notes Periodic reviews Personal Knowledge Management System (PKMS) Process for transitioning information from analog to digital Template I use for periodic notes The power of journaling for people with ADHD The relationship between Journaling, Personal Health, and Growth The value of going from analog to digital Time Horizons Tools for Thought (TfTs) Why and How to Combine Journaling, Learning and Knowledge Management What Are Daily Notes Useful For Why knowledge centralization matters Why use daily notes as your capture system Why you should link your notes with time My articles about journaling: https://www.dsebastien.net/tag/journaling TestimonialsBig thanks. Truly deep. Truly useful. You nailed why journaling works — Julien Dambron

Knowii - Model Context Protocol (MCP)

What is this?This is a Masterclass about AI, Large Language Models (LLMs) and the Model Context Protocol (MCP), a powerful way to leverage AI and let it access your data and services anywhere (e.g., files, documents, emails, calendar, you name it!).Topics covered in this workshop: What is the Model Context Protocol (MCP) Why it’s useful How it works Where to find MCP servers How to install & configure those Different ways to leverage those This is a video recording of one of the Knowii Community workshops.🚀 Join Knowii as a Knowledge Builder or Knowledge Master and get this along with SO much more!Who is this for?People who want to use AI the right way and 10x the results they get.People who want to learn more about the Model Context Protocol (MCP).

Knowii - AI Master Prompt

What is this?This is a Masterclass about AI Master Prompts.Topics covered in this workshop: AI Large Language Models (LLMs) AI Prompts Prompt Engineering AI Assistants AI Master Prompts How to craft your AI Master Prompt Demo Future Improvements This workshop was recorded for the Knowii Community.🚀 Join Knowii as a Knowledge Builder or Knowledge Master and get this along with SO much more!Who is this for?People who want to use AI the right way and 10x the results they get.

Personal Knowledge Management Coaching

Laser-focused and actionable.

🎯 Coaching

1-on-1 sessions with me (English or French).

Build your system from scratch
Fix what's not working in your current setup
Get personalized guidance based on YOUR needs
Post-session follow-up included

Skip the months of experimentation. Get expert help.

Who is this for? You are just getting started with note-taking, note-making, and Personal Knowledge Management You wonder how to take smart notes You want to know how to properly organize your notes and avoid creating an overwhelming mess You want a solid system that scales You wonder what Zettelkasten, the PARA method, and the Johnny decimal system are You want to better organize the information of your team or business Getting started is not the hardest thing in the world, but it takes a lot of trial and error to figure out how to structure and organize your knowledge base. You have a busy life, and you don’t want to spend weeks or even months figuring out the “right” approach. Avoid wasting your time and get expert help to guide you on the right path.What is this?With this product, you can buy one or more hours of personalized coaching with me (in English or French!).I’ve been passionate about Information Management (IM), Knowledge Management, and PKM for more than 20 years. As an author, blogger, knowledge worker, and entrepreneur, I needed solutions to store and organize an enormous amount of information.Over the years, I’ve explored, used, and advocated many tools. I have settled on Obsidian, but the techniques I rely on can be applied to many other tools as well. I’ve spent months refining and perfecting my Personal Knowledge Management (PKM) system, and have spent countless hours tweaking my approach. I’ve published various articles to share some ideas about this. My system combines the Zettelkasten approach, the PARA method, the Johnny decimal system, and other ideas to create a solid basis for my work as an author, blogger, and content creator.I am very involved in the Personal Knowledge Management community, for which I’m building products, communities, and creating content to help newcomers as well as more advanced users get further. I have created the Obsidian Starter Kit, the Personal Knowledge Management Library, the PKM Journal, the PKM sub-reddit, the PKM Slack community, etc.I’ve decided to dedicate more of my time to coaching PKM enthusiasts and share what I’ve learned so far.During the coaching session(s): We will explore the concepts, techniques, and best practices that I rely on daily and recommend I will guide you through what I consider to be a well-structured, scalable and maintainable Personal Knowledge Management system I will explain my workflows and processes to you I will (try to) answer all the questions you might have I will remain available after our session if you have questions, need advice, or help After the coaching sessions, I will remain available to answer additional questions.Testimonials”Sébastien thinks everything from first principles, the systems and ideas we discussed are well thought from multiple angles and I’m going to integrate them in my own specific setup”— Adrian Craciun (via mail)

Personal Knowledge Management Library

📖 Personal Knowledge Management Library

20+ years of PKM wisdom.

What's inside:

90+ book recommendations on learning, thinking, writing
Thousands of resources
Tools database
Templates and references
Lifetime updates

Buy once, access forever.

Intro🚀 Join Knowii as a Knowledge Master and get this along with SO much more!Who is this for? You want to learn how to organize your personal knowledge You wonder how to take smart notes You want to remember more of what you read You want to improve your knowledge management skills If concepts/acronyms such as PKM, SecondBrain, Zettelkasten, Evergreen notes, and Digital Garden make you curious, then you’ve come to the right place!It is well-known that our memories are not reliable. To store and organize knowledge bases, we need digital solutions to help us. But that’s not enough. To keep things manageable over time as our knowledge base scales, we need clear techniques and methodologies.What is this?I’ve been passionate about information, knowledge management, and PKM for more than 20 years. As a knowledge worker, author, blogger, and entrepreneur, I needed solutions to store and organize an enormous amount of information.Over the years, I’ve explored, used, and advocated many different tools: old-school wikis (e.g., MediaWiki, TiddlyWiki, DokuWiki, Confluence), note-taking solutions such as Evernote, Google Keep, Microsoft OneNote, Okular, Zim, and many more.Recently, the Personal Knowledge Management space has evolved a lot with the rise of tools such as Notion, Obsidian, Roam Research, LogSeq, and others. Those have drastically changed the knowledge management landscape and brought us the opportunity to manage knowledge much more efficiently, and to truly create ourselves a second brain, or digital garden.During most of 2021, I’ve done extensive research and curated a ton of information and links about the Personal Knowledge Management space. I’ve now regrouped all of this inside of a Notion space.It is now a solid database of the best resources you can find on the subject around the InternetEach and every week I add new resources to this Notion space: articles, blogs, books, courses, tools, videos, etc. This includes the content that I publish myself on the subject and my weekly newsletter.Note that this product is included in the Knowii offer.What you will getHere, you can buy lifetime access to my Notion space, and get regular updates; either for you personally, or for your team.What’s included? A list of 290+ tools Links to 350+ articles Links to 145+ videos A list of 90+ books about learning, thinking, writing, note-taking, journaling, neuroscience, psychology, stoicism, etc Links to 225+ sites & blogs A list of 75+ Youtube channels A list of 90+ courses A list of 90+ newsletters A list of 40+ podcasts A list of podcast episodes A list of 70+ communities and forums A list of ~2K PKM leaders, influencers, and enthusiasts A list of 50+ starter kits and templates A list of 100+ Twitter hashtags to follow A list of 80+ topics and links to relevant articles, books, videos, etc And more! I will keep adding to the Notion space, and I’ll continue contributing information for the whole community.You’ll also get lifetime access to the Personal Knowledge Management community for support and knowledge sharing.Testimonials

Everything Knowledge Bundle

📦 Everything Knowledge Bundle

Includes every product I've created:

Obsidian Starter Kit
Obsidian Starter Course
Knowledge Management for Beginners
Knowledge Worker Kit
PKM Library
Deep Dives
Knowii Voice AI

One purchase. Maximum value.

Get all my Knowledge Management and Knowledge Work products at the lowest price.

Subscribe to Sébastien Dubois on Gumroad

How to claim your discount

Go to https://store.dsebastien.net
Pick what you need
Use code: BLACKFRIDAY2025 at checkout

This sale won't last forever.

If you've been on the fence then this is the moment.

Let's build your knowledge system 🧠

12 Common Personal Knowledge Management Mistakes (And How to Avoid Them)

Sebastien Dubois — Sat, 29 Nov 2025 09:35:35 GMT

Most people fail at Personal Knowledge Management before they even get started.

In this article, I want to share 12 anti-patterns I've observed over and over again in the PKM communities I've been part of — some of which I created. If you recognize yourself in any of these, don't worry. Awareness is the first step to improvement.

Introduction

Over the last few years, I've been heavily involved in various Personal Knowledge Management communities. And I keep noticing recurring patterns and traps that people fall into.

Hopefully, once you know what to look out for, you can avoid these pitfalls entirely. Unfortunately, many of these traps feel productive while you're in them. That's what makes them so dangerous.

Let me walk you through the 12 most common PKM anti-patterns — and what to do instead.

TL;DR

Overthinkers: Research paralysis before even getting started
Paralyzed: Endless searching for the "perfect" solution
Theorists: Over-focusing on methods like Zettelkasten before writing a single note
Tool Hoppers: Constantly switching tools, losing momentum each time
Integrators: Building "octopus systems" with too many tools
Complexity Monsters: Making things harder than they need to be
Tweakers: Endlessly customizing settings instead of using the system
Perfectionists: Waiting for the "perfect" setup that never comes
Designers: Spending more time on aesthetics than on knowledge work
Hoarders: Capturing everything without ever leveraging anything
Optimists: Trusting their data is safe without proper backups
Unquestioning: Ignoring security, privacy, and vendor lock-in risks

1. Overthinkers

Some people think they need to research tools, methodologies, frameworks, and techniques for months before they even get started. They approach Personal Knowledge Management as if they need to "know enough" or receive some kind of permission to begin.

Example: Someone spends 3 weeks watching YouTube videos about different note-taking methods, reads 15 articles comparing tools, joins 5 Discord communities to ask for recommendations — and hasn't written a single note yet.

Warning sign: You've consumed more content about PKM than you've created using PKM.

At the end of the day, they end up feeling overwhelmed, and many just give up after a while, thinking that it's all too complicated.

What to do instead: Open a text editor. Write something. That's it. You can figure out the rest later.

2. Paralyzed

A related anti-pattern is when people keep doing research, keep trying new tools, try to find the silver bullet, the perfect organization, the ideal system, the magic tool. And of course, they never find it.

They try, they tweak, they customize, they wander. They ask for recommendations, they question, they ponder. But all they're really doing is procrastinating. And they never get past the "start" stage. They never reap the benefits of their time investment.

Example: After 6 months, someone has tried Notion, Obsidian, Roam, Logseq, and Capacities. They have notes scattered across all of them. They're now researching Tana. Meanwhile, they can't find anything they've written because it's spread across 5 different apps.

Warning sign: You can name 10+ PKM tools and their pros/cons, but you don't have a single note you've revisited more than once.

The line between healthy exploration and procrastination: Healthy exploration has an end date and a clear goal. Procrastination is endless searching that keeps you from your actual goals. Ask yourself: "Am I exploring to find what works, or am I avoiding the work itself?"

3. Theorists

Another category of people over-focus on theory, methods, and techniques. They seem to believe that they need to fully grasp Zettelkasten, PARA, and tons of other ideas before they can get started. Their mind seems stuck in theory-land. As if "just writing" was not enough. As if the value of knowledge management was only accessible to people armed with the right combination of approaches.

They get lost and remain stuck in an endless exploration loop.

Some do get started, but they only write about the theory they uncover. And once again, the output they create has little to no actual value. It doesn't make a difference in their lives.

Example: Someone has read 4 books about Zettelkasten, watched every Zettelkasten YouTube video, can explain the difference between literature notes and permanent notes in detail — but their actual system contains 12 notes, all of which are about Zettelkasten.

Warning sign: Your notes are mostly about note-taking, not about the topics that actually matter to your work or life.

4. Tool Hoppers

Yet another anti-pattern is tool hopping. People try one tool, discover that it's not perfectly aligned with their needs. So they switch to something else. They try another and discover other limitations and problems. And they keep switching, over and over.

Each time, they get started, migrate over or start from scratch. They waste time, energy, and accumulate more and more technical debt.

The hidden cost: Every time you switch tools, you lose momentum. You lose context. You have to re-learn keyboard shortcuts, features, and workflows. You lose the connections you've built between notes. And worst of all, you lose the habit you were trying to build. The cost of context-switching is massive — and it compounds over time.

At the end of the day, your level of clarity, priorities, focus, and approach will impact your productivity in much more profound ways than all the tool hopping and tweaking in the world ever could

Example: Someone has migrated their notes 4 times in 2 years. Each migration took 2-3 weeks. That's 2-3 months of their PKM journey spent moving data instead of creating value.

Warning sign: You've migrated your notes more than twice in the past year.

It's an endless cycle that leads nowhere.

5. Integrators

Another group seems to think that the only way to build the perfect system is to use specific tools for specific needs. They pick one tool to take notes (or even multiple ones!), other tools for research, more tools for content curation, even more tools for highlighting... They end up with what I call an "octopus system". And it causes many headaches.

Using many tools leads to the creation of many silos of information. Knowledge is scattered, hard to connect, hard to maintain, and tools are difficult to integrate. Over time, they tend to spend more time integrating the different parts of their systems and maintaining those integrations, rather than leveraging their knowledge.

And the problems don't stop there. Products evolve, products die, integrations break, costs go up...

Example: Someone uses Readwise for highlights, Notion for project management, Obsidian for notes, Raindrop for bookmarks, Instapaper for read-later, and Zapier to glue it all together. When one integration breaks, they spend hours debugging instead of working.

Warning sign: You need a diagram to explain your own system to yourself.

I understand and acknowledge that specific tools are better at X than others. But oftentimes, the added costs and complexity is just unjustified.

6. Complexity Monsters

A variant of the above is when people let their ego play a role in setting up their system. As if they'd be ashamed of using something too simple. As if simplicity was diminishing the perceived value of the practice.

Complexity monsters take different shapes and forms. For some people, it's the combination of tools, plugins, and integrations. For others, it's the combination of approaches and techniques. And for some, it's all of that and more.

Example: Someone's Obsidian vault has 47 plugins installed. Their daily note template is 800 lines long. They have so many hotkeys configured that they forgot what half of them do. And when Obsidian updates, 5 plugins break and they spend a weekend fixing things.

Warning sign: Setting up a new device takes you more than an hour because of all the configurations you need to restore.

Once again, complexity is an anti-pattern. It leads many people to procrastinate and give up instead of growing and leveraging knowledge.

7. Tweakers

Tweakers are those who keep customizing everything in their tools. They change all the settings, change the keyboard bindings, keep testing extensions and different configurations. They're never satisfied with their setup and keep spending time changing things.

They waste their time thinking that they're making progress, while all they're doing is playing with their tools. They're like kids and their toys.

Example: Someone has changed their folder structure 6 times this year. They've tried 12 different tagging systems. They spent last weekend reorganizing their templates. They have 3 notes about how they organize notes. But they haven't written anything about their actual projects in weeks.

Warning sign: You've spent more time this month reorganizing your system than using it.

8. Perfectionists

Many of the above anti-patterns relate to perfectionism. This idea that the system has to be perfect in all possible dimensions before anything meaningful can be achieved.

The truth: Your system will never be perfect. And that's fine. A "good enough" system that you actually use beats a "perfect" system that you're still designing.

Continuous improvement is better than delayed perfection

Example: Someone refuses to start capturing ideas because they haven't decided on the "right" folder structure yet. They've been thinking about it for 3 months. Meanwhile, valuable ideas come and go, never captured.

Warning sign: You keep saying "I'll start once I figure out..."

While in reality, it's all just procrastination in disguise.

9. Designers

One more pattern I've noticed is people (who are probably more artistically inclined) that spend a crazy amount of time fiddling with themes, custom CSS, beautiful dashboards, and other beautification efforts.

Some people are really talented and create valuable things (for themselves and others). But once again, it's not really moving the needle forward when it comes to leveraging knowledge.

It's just yet another fun path. It's all fine, but it's not knowledge management.

Example: Someone spent 20 hours creating the perfect homepage dashboard with custom CSS, beautiful icons, and animated widgets. It looks stunning. But they haven't added a new note in 2 weeks because they've been too busy making things pretty.

Warning sign: You can describe your theme and CSS customizations in detail, but struggle to explain what you've learned from your notes recently.

Yes, using something visually pleasing feels great. But it's not the goal.

10. Hoarders

A very different anti-pattern I keep seeing is people who take notes about everything. They capture whatever they stumble upon, accumulate a ton of information. It becomes a full-time job to them.

They often end up feeling overwhelmed and lost. They actually don't know why they're capturing information. To me, they're librarians. They capture, organize, classify, sort.

But they don't leverage what they capture. They lose sight of what really matters. They don't think about progress. They don't think about action. They don't have their actual goals in mind. The hoarding becomes the goal, and they often don't realize.

The key distinction: There's a difference between collecting and connecting. Hoarders collect. Knowledge workers connect. A note that isn't linked to your goals, projects, or thinking is just digital clutter.

Avoid falling into the trap of focusing too much on the system, and too little on get value out of it

Example: Someone has 5,000 notes. They've highlighted 200 books. They have clippings from 1,000 articles. When asked "What have you created with all this knowledge?", they go silent.

Warning sign: Your system has more inputs than outputs. You're consuming and capturing far more than you're creating and doing.

Again, it's fine as a hobby activity. But it's not knowledge management either.

11. Optimists

Another category of people pours a lot of energy into knowledge management. They actually accumulate valuable knowledge and turn it into wisdom; action.

But they're too optimistic. Not too optimistic about the value of knowledge management (that's fine), but too optimistic about the safety of their system.

They build something great for themselves but never stop to ensure their data is safe from harm. Oftentimes they're in luck, nothing bad happens. But for some of them, a mistake, hardware or service failure ruins everything. They lose data. Just a little if they're lucky enough, or everything if they're not.

The harsh reality: I've seen many posts in PKM communities where people lost years of work. One person lost 3+ years of notes — their entire knowledge base — because of a hard drive failure and no backup. Another lost everything when a cloud sync went wrong and overwrote their files with empty versions. These aren't rare occurrences.

Example: Someone has 4 years of daily journals, project notes, and creative writing in their PKM system. It's all on one laptop. No backup. No sync. They assume "it'll be fine." Until the laptop gets stolen, dropped, or the hard drive fails.

Warning sign: If I asked you "When did you last test restoring from a backup?", you'd have no answer.

Their optimism and blind trust leads to catastrophe.

12. Unquestioning

A variant of the above is when people use tools or platforms without ever pondering the security and privacy risks involved. They trust cloud providers, proprietary solutions, and systems.

Then someday prices change, features change, features get dropped, security breaches happen, and companies/products disappear or get acquired. Then they realize that migrating away will be costly, and hard if not impossible. Or their data gets stolen or exposed.

Example: Someone built their entire PKM system in a proprietary tool. Two years later, the company pivots, drops the features they relied on, and triples the price. Exporting gives them a useless JSON dump. They're stuck.

Warning sign: You don't know what format your notes are stored in, and you've never tried exporting your data.

Information stored in personal knowledge management systems is often sensitive, and people should be much more careful about data security (at rest and in transit), data longevity, data export capabilities... But it's a tough topic, and not necessarily easy to grasp for non-technical folks.

What to Do Instead

I've written many articles about how to approach knowledge management more sanely and reasonably. There's a lot to say here, but I'll focus on the very essential points.

First, start simple. You don't need fancy tools. You don't need complex systems. You don't need complex methods or workflows. The only thing you need at first is a text editor and clarity about your goals. If you don't know what to use, then start with Obsidian (because reasons: Benefits of Obsidian & Why Obsidian is All You Need - From Simple Notes to Complete Productivity (Article)). In any case, whatever you decide to use, make sure to either use open data formats such as Markdown or that you have means to export your data to such a format.

Consider that while the GDPR forces all companies to provide you with means to export your data, it doesn't mean that your data will be complete, usable, or easy to migrate elsewhere! That's why I heavily recommend Markdown. Be careful about vendor lock-in. Prefer local solutions that you can fully control. And make sure to properly backup your data and test your restore procedure.

Then, all you have to do is build the habit of writing. Start a journal. Capture what really matters; information about yourself, about your goals, your plans, your projects, and knowledge that will help you achieve those.

Explore Interstitial Journaling. I've recorded a deep dive about that for the Knowii Community: Knowii Community Event - Knowledge Builders - 2025-08-20 - Journaling Deep Dive.

Second, Keep It Simple Stupid (KISS) for as long as you can. Use friction as your guide. That's the only valuable signal to pay attention to. Friction is obvious. It's the stuff that makes you lose your focus. It's the stuff that wastes your time. But the point is not to react and try to fix friction right away. Instead, what you need is to keep track of friction points, and wait long enough so that you get to make the distinction between details and big issues that are worth solving. Reject complexity. Use fewer tools. Be satisfied with less: In defense of using fewer tools. You'd be amazed to discover all you can do with a single tool.

Consider that there will always be time later to use something else if it's really what you need. Just don't fall into the trap of trying to find the silver bullet. It just doesn't exist. Don't chase unicorns. Don't waste your time and energy falling for the Shiny object syndrome.

Third, refrain from trying to learn too much theory at first. There's no point at all exploring things such as the Zettelkasten method, the PARA method, Atomic notes and such things. At first, all you need is to build the habit of writing, the habit of USING and LEVERAGING your system.

Fourth, once you've built the habit of writing and leveraging your system, do consider moving up the Knowledge Management Proficiency Ladder. There are no rules though. Don't consider anything anyone says (myself included!) as the "one true way". Pick up what resonates with you and what moves the needle forward for you.

Finally, if you're further along the path (I'd say after a few months at a minimum!), then take a bit more time to explore theory and systems further. Then you'll understand and fully benefit from the value of things such as the Obsidian Starter Kit or my Knowledge Management for Beginners course.

Self-Assessment

Take a moment to reflect. Which of these patterns do you recognize in yourself?

Are you researching instead of writing?
Are you switching tools instead of actually using one?
Are you customizing instead of creating?
Are you collecting instead of connecting and leveraging the knowledge?
Are you designing instead of doing?

Be honest. Awareness is the first step to change.

If you recognized yourself in 3 or more of these anti-patterns, it's time to stop and simplify. Close the browser tabs. Pick one tool. Start writing. The rest will follow.

Going Further

If you want to avoid these pitfalls and build a solid PKM practice from day one, here are some resources that can help:

The Obsidian Starter Kit: A battle-tested system for Obsidian that I've used daily for years. It gives you a solid foundation without the complexity trap.
The Knowledge Management for Beginners course: A deep dive into Knowledge Management that covers both theory and practice, helping you build your own system.
The Knowii Community: A community of practice where knowledge workers meet and grow together.

Conclusion

I'll repeat one last time: don't fall into the anti-patterns I've listed. There's no need for complexity, no need for using many tools, no need for complex methodologies. That's all just noise. That's all just procrastination.

The only thing you need to get started is a computer, a text editor, and some time to write regularly.

As the saying goes:

A year from now, you will wish you had started today

You've been warned! 🚀

That's it for today! ✨

DeveloPassion's Newsletter 202 - Knowii Voice AI

Sebastien Dubois — Wed, 26 Nov 2025 14:35:40 GMT

Hello everyone! I'm Sébastien Dubois, your host. You're receiving this email because you signed up for DeveloPassion's Newsletter. Thank you for being here with me ✨

Welcome

Welcome to all the new readers ❤️

The past two months have been an intense sprint. Building. Shipping. Learning. Breaking things. Fixing them. And finally: launching something I've been thinking about for a long time.

First, some personal news: I've finally recovered from my injury after my latest semi-marathon. Nothing serious, but this kept me off running for many weeks. I'm back at it now, taking it slow. And it's TOUGH!

The end of the year is almost here. I'm preparing myself for my next yearly review. Yearly reviews are my most powerful ritual. I really don't want to miss those. Each year I ask myself: "What should the next version of myself look like?", "What are my next challenges?", "What path do I choose for myself, going forward?". And each time it has been life changing.

This process isn't optional for me. It's how I stay mindful and intentional about my life.

But today's edition isn't about retrospection. It's about creation. Over the past 8 weeks, I've been building something new. Something that changes how I work with AI, how I write, how I think.

Let me tell you about Knowii Voice AI.

This Week's Highlights

Launched Knowii Voice AI - a privacy-first voice-to-text app 🎉
Got first customers with overwhelmingly positive feedback
Started developing the Obsidian Starter Kit plugin
Published three Knowii workshop videos on YouTube
Knowii Community crossed 300 members
Removed Knowii Community free tier - now starting at $4.99/month
Subscribed to GitHub paid plan and Apple Developer Program
Installed Omarchy on my laptop
Built Adobe Premiere Chapters to YouTube converter tool
Read multiple books including The Running Man (book) and Nobody’s Fool (book)

Before You Go Any Further

I want to reach more people. Got 20 seconds? Then share the link with one friend/colleague who would benefit from joining us! And of course, don't forget to also mention the Knowii Community ❤️

And if you bought some of my products or courses? Then please leave a rating/review. It really helps a lot ❤️

Black Friday Sale

30% off everything in my store this week!

Use the discount code BLACKFRIDAY2025 during checkout to get 30% off any of my products.

This includes:

Knowii Community memberships (with tons of bonuses)
Knowledge Worker Kit
Obsidian Starter Kit
Knowledge Management for Beginners course
Personal Knowledge Management Coaching sessions
Knowii Voice AI app
And EVERYTHING else in my store

This offer is valid until November 29th. Don't miss it!

Organize your thoughts, life & work⚡

A Partnership to Transform Lives Through Knowledge

Knowii Community Memberships are my best offers. They combine access to multiple products and services, include future content, and are the best way to support my work.

Time to boost your Knowledge Work skills! ❤️

Knowii Affiliate Program

I'm working on the Knowii Affiliate Program. You can already join and start earning (40% on every sale) by recommending my products and services. If you believe in what I'm building and want to help spread the word, this is a great way to do it.

You can find more information here:

Affiliate Program

Knowii Knowledge System: Tools + Courses + Community

Also, check out the dedicated Knowii space: https://www.knowii.net/c/affiliates

Knowii Voice AI: Type at the Speed of Thought

I've been frustrated with typing for years.

Not because I'm slow. I type fast enough. But because typing creates friction between thought and action. Ideas arrive faster than fingers can move. The keyboard is the bottleneck.

When you're working with AI, this becomes even more obvious. You want to give detailed context. Explain your thinking. Provide examples. But typing all of that? Exhausting.

Voice dictation exists, but every solution I tried had problems:

Cloud services that send your voice to someone else's servers
Apps that only work in specific browsers or applications
Subscriptions that cost $20-30/month forever
Services with usage limits that you hit constantly
Open source projects that try to please everyone and don't have good UI/UX

I wanted something different. Privacy-first. Works everywhere. Pay once, own forever. Uses state-of-the-art AI models.

I couldn't find it. So I built it.

What is Knowii Voice AI?

Knowii Voice AI is a voice-to-text transcription application that runs entirely on your computer. Your voice never leaves your device (unless you choose to use cloud models).

Press Ctrl+Space (or any shortcut you configure). Speak naturally. Release. Your words appear exactly where your cursor is. In any application.

Gmail. Slack. Discord. VS Code. Your terminal. Obsidian. Word. Teams. Literally anywhere you can type.

The AI models run locally on your computer. No internet required after the initial model download. No subscriptions. No usage limits. Complete privacy.

You speak at 150 words per minute. You type at 40 words per minute. That's not a small difference. That's 3.75x faster.
If you write for 2 hours per day, you get back 88 minutes. That's 7.3 hours per week. 380 hours per year.

What would you do with an extra 380 hours?

The Journey

Let me tell you how Knowii Voice AI came to be.

I started by doing research about Speech Recognition (ASR) AI models a few months back. More recently, I looked into cross-platform software development frameworks. I knew about Electron, but didn't want my app to be too heavy. I then stumbled upon Tauri and immediately fell in love. Rust on the back-end, anything you want on the front-end, support for Windows, macOS, Linux and iOS, tons of mature features. I spent the next two weeks learning as much as I could and started building.

While doing more research, I discovered Handy, an open-source voice-to-text project by CJ Pais. Solid foundation. Great concept. I saw potential and decided to fork it instead of building everything from scratch. Since that project used the MIT license, it was a great starting point.

I rebuilt everything from scratch. I completely overhauled the codebase. Refactored the architecture. Redesigned the entire user interface from scratch to be fully responsive, and added many features that don't exist in Handy. For example, I've added support for multiple AI models (e.g., Moonshine and Omnilingual), added Linux support for Hyprland, added various improvements to the history screen, and much more. I then wrote extensive documentation, prepared the sales copy, built a landing page and I launched it.

But week six hit hard. Someone opened an issue on GitHub: "This is a Handy.computer clone."
That hurt. They weren't wrong about the fork, but I never said that I started from scratch, and they missed the point. Knowii Voice AI started from Handy's codebase, yes. But it's not a dumb clone. It's something different that will take a very different path (it already has). I had already acknowledged the fork publicly and gave credit where it's due. But I also explained my vision for the future of the app and the roadmap I have in mind. I understand that commercial forks of open source apps have a bad reputation, but the incentives and goals are different. For the creator of Handy, Handy is a fun side-project. For me, Knowii Voice AI is a product I'm selling, that I'm providing support for, that I will keep working on for the foreseeable future, and that will evolve based on customer feedback.

Then my first customers started using it. The feedback was overwhelmingly positive. People got what I was building. And I'm building for them ❤️

Knowii Voice AI has its own roadmap. Its own vision. Its own community. Features that Handy will never have because our goals are different. With Knowii Voice AI, I want to build the best tool for Knowledge Workers and Knowledge Management enthusiasts who care about privacy and productivity. Different visions. Different paths. Both valid.

Soon, I'll start working on AI inference and integrations with tools such as Obsidian. That's where the fun will begin!

What You Get

$49, once. Own it forever.

Full Windows 10/11 support (available now)
Linux and macOS support coming soon
Various AI models (Whisper, Parakeet, Moonshine, Omnilingual)
Complete transcription history with search, filter, edit, star, playback
Works in every application
Customizable shortcuts
Voice Activity Detection
Custom word replacements for common errors
Auto-update system
Lifetime updates and all future features
30-day money-back guarantee

I recently added support for Moonshine and Omnilingual models, as well as many more improvements that will be released soon.

My first customers gave me super positive feedback. That validation? Worth everything.

What's Next

The roadmap is packed. Full Linux and macOS support. Smart AI-enabled post-processing workflows. Real-time transcription. Voice trigger words. File transcription. Voice commands. And much more.

Check out:

Website: https://voice-ai.knowii.net
Documentation: https://docs.voice-ai.knowii.net
Roadmap: https://docs.voice-ai.knowii.net/roadmap
Release Notes: https://docs.voice-ai.knowii.net/release-notes
Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z3nnUCJRWhI

If you're tired of typing, if you want to work faster, if you care about privacy, this is for you.

Knowii Community News

The Knowii Community keeps growing. We're now over 300 members. It's lovely to see our community grow ❤️.

I've made an important decision: removing the free tier. Memberships now start at $4.99/month.
Why? Sustainability. Running the community costs money. Servers. Tools. Time. I want to keep building it for years. That means it needs to be financially sustainable.

The paid tier brings value: exclusive workshops, direct access to PKM experts, private spaces, priority support. If you're serious about knowledge work, it's worth joining.

Transform Information Overload Into Clarity with a Complete Knowledge SystemAccess an All-in-One Solution: Community + Premium Courses + Professional ToolsInformation chaos is silently sabotaging your productivity, creativity, and peace of mind. You’re drowning in scattered notes, forgotten insights, and constant context switching, watching valuable ideas slip through the cracks daily.What if you could transform that chaos into your greatest advantage with a proven, ready-to-implement system?Knowii delivers everything you need in one integrated package: A supportive community of fellow knowledge masters Premium courses sharing hard earned wisdom, worth hundreds of dollars Professional knowledge tools and templates Implementation guidance and direct support This isn’t just a community. It’s a complete knowledge system.Join today, and get access to $150-$500 worth of bonuses, depending on the tier you subscribe to! 🤯Who is this for?The Knowii community brings together leaders, knowledge workers, content creators, and lifelong learners committed to breaking free from information overload to achieve both professional excellence and intentional living.The Knowii community is made up of real people facing everyday knowledge challenges: Knowledge workers trying to keep up with the evolution and real-world impact of AI Overwhelmed Professionals - People drowning in tabs, emails, and Slack messages who want to regain control of their information Career Builders - Individuals actively documenting their expertise to advance professionally and make better workplace decisions Career Changers - People learning new fields who need to organize and connect information across different domains Team Leaders & Managers - People juggling multiple responsibilities who need to track information and priorities, but also share knowledge across teams who struggle with documentation and information silos Executives & Decision-Makers - Professionals who need to quickly synthesize complex information from multiple sources to make confident, timely decisions under pressure Founders & Entrepreneurs - Business owners and startup creators juggling investor decks, customer feedback, market research, and product plans who need systems to keep it all organized and actionable Consultants and freelancers juggling multiple client projects who need to quickly recall specific details without digging through old emails Researchers & Students - People who highlight books, take course notes, and need to turn that raw material into lasting knowledge Subject matter experts who struggle to organize years of accumulated knowledge in a way they can actually share with others Content Creators - Bloggers, newsletter writers, and course builders who need reliable systems to produce consistent, quality content, without burning out Growth-Oriented Minds - People committed to continuous improvement and development Knowledge Seekers - From curious beginners to seasoned experts committed to lifelong learning Systematic Thinkers - People who value structured approaches to organizing information and ideas Intentional Professionals - Leaders, knowledge workers, and creators building purposeful systems Clarity Enthusiasts - Those seeking to break free from information overload and mental clutter Balance Seekers - Individuals balancing personal and professional lives who need efficient systems that don’t consume all their time Note-Takers & Organizers - From beginners with messy desktop folders to Obsidian power users with thousands of linked notes Tool Explorers - Folks who’ve tried Notion, Roam, Obsidian, and more, seeking practical advice on what actually works Practical Implementers - Those who transform theory into actionable systems and workflows Generous Contributors - Community members who share insights, resources, and experiences Anyone who’s ever thought “I know I saved that somewhere...” while frantically searching We’re not productivity gurus with perfect systems. We’re regular people who care about taming information overload, building solid systems and sharing what works.Why Knowii Exists 41% of knowledge workers feel overwhelmed by information daily The average professional experiences 23 context switches each day 60% of valuable ideas are lost due to poor knowledge management Most people spend more time searching for information than actually using it You can learn more about Knowii here: https://www.dsebastien.net/communityChoose Your Transformation PathExplorerYour entry point to breaking free from information chaos with access to foundational resources, general discussions, and a supportive community of fellow knowledge workers.You get: Access to general discussions Knowledge Management guidance and tutorials Curated content Limited resource library access Introductory templates Community help for common problems Free bonuses Beginner’s Guide to Obsidian Database of Knowledge Management tools Knowledge Management System Checklist It’s enough to start fixing your information overload without a big commitment.Knowledge Builder: Integrated Knowledge System FoundationFor those ready to build reliable knowledge systems that stickEverything from Explorer, plus: Premium Community Resources: Access to live events and video recordings (i.e., masterclasses, workshops, Q&As, knowledge-sharing sessions, live streams, etc), templates, workflows, guides, private community spaces, etc Tools & Courses Package: Immediate access to the Obsidian Starter Kit and Obsidian Starter Course, a comprehensive foundation for your knowledge system Direct Access to Experts: Access to multiple Knowledge experts Monthly Community Challenges: Structured activities to build your knowledge management skills Access to DeveloPassion’s Newsletter Archives (~200+ editions) Early Access: Be first to try new community features and content Total Value: $150+ in premium tools & courses included with your membership!Perfect for: Professionals serious about developing systematic knowledge management practices to transform their work and lifeKnowledge Master: The Ultimate Knowledge SystemFor those committed to complete knowledge transformation with our most comprehensive package.All-inclusive access for maximum results with minimum friction.EVERYTHING in Knowledge Builder, PLUS: FULL Community Access: Exclusive events (e.g., AMAs, group coaching sessions, mastermind sessions, etc) and community spaces Complete Course Library: Knowledge Management for Beginners, Obsidian Starter Course, and all future courses ALL Knowledge Tools: Knowledge Worker Kit, Obsidian Starter Kit, Personal Knowledge Management Library, AI Ghostwriter Guide, and all future tools Implementation Support: Direct guidance and quarterly check-ins to ensure your system succeeds Experimental Content: Early access to cutting-edge PKM methods and integrations And more to come! Total value of the included bonuses: ~$500.These aren’t separate products. They’re components of one cohesive system designed to work together seamlessly. The courses teach you the frameworks, the tools provide the implementation, and the community supports your ongoing mastery.Perfect for: Serious professionals and content creators who want complete transformation of their knowledge workflows and maximum clarity in work and lifeYour Complete System Journey: How Everything Works Together1. Break Free From Information ChaosDiscover proven systems to capture, organize, and leverage what truly matters, eliminating mental clutter.2. Build Your Knowledge Command CenterCreate your personal knowledge ecosystem with the right tools and workflows that evolve with your needs.3. Transform Information Into InsightsMaster techniques to connect ideas, generate insights, and unlock creativity that would otherwise remain hidden.4. Apply Systems to Real-World ChallengesImplement your knowledge framework to professional scenarios, making better decisions and advancing your career.5. Achieve Zen ProductivityIntegrate knowledge management into a holistic approach prioritizing clarity, focus, and mental wellbeing.6. Create Content With ConfidenceBuild reliable systems to transform your knowledge into valuable content consistently and efficiently.Before Knowii... “I had 2,000+ bookmarks across 3 browsers and couldn’t find anything” “My notes were scattered across Evernote, Apple Notes, and dozens of paper notebooks” “I’d read great books but couldn’t remember or apply their key insights” After implementing the complete Knowii system: “I now have one central knowledge hub where everything is connected and accessible” “The Obsidian Starter Kit gave me a ready-made structure that I could actually use on day one” “The courses taught me how to implement the system, while the community helped me troubleshoot” Past events & recordingsYou can find the list of past events (i.e., masterclasses, workshops, Q&As, knowledge-sharing sessions, live streams, etc) over here: Knowii Community Events.Knowledge Builders and Knowledge Masters have access access to the video recordings 🤩.Created by Sébastien DuboisKnowii is led by Sébastien Dubois, Knowledge Management expert, coach and author dedicated to helping professionals break free from information overload. With years of experience building systems that turn overwhelming information into clear insights and confident decisions, Sébastien has helped hundreds transform their relationship with knowledge.Testimonials”You’ve given me a lot of inspiration in how to actually do that as well simply through everything that you’ve built! Happy that I found your work and came across this community - such a gold mine 🙏” — SofiaFrequently Asked Questions (FAQ)How is Knowii different from other online communities?Knowii isn’t just a discussion forum—it’s a structured transformation system. Each space is designed to build on the others, creating a comprehensive journey from information chaos to intentional clarity.I’m already overwhelmed. Will joining another platform help or just add more noise?Great question! Unlike most platforms that add to your digital noise, Knowii is specifically designed to reduce overwhelm by giving you systems to organize all your existing information sources. Sébastien has helped hundreds feel less overwhelmed through Knowledge Management coaching, systems and guides.Can I change tiers or cancel if needed?Absolutely. You can upgrade, downgrade, or cancel at any time. For annual plans, you’ll maintain access until the end of your billing period.What if I’m not sure which tier is right for me?Start with the Explorer tier or the Knowledge Builder tier. You can always upgrade if you find value in the community.Do I really get immediate access to all the courses and tools mentioned?Yes! Unlike most communities that charge separately for courses and tools, your Knowii membership (especially Knowledge Master tier) includes immediate access to everything listed. No additional purchases required.How do the courses and tools integrate with the community?The entire system is designed to work together. You’ll learn concepts in the courses, implement them using the tools and templates, and get support and inspiration from the community—creating a complete knowledge transformation pipeline.If I’m already using Obsidian (or another tool), will these resources still help me?Absolutely! The courses and tools are designed to enhance whatever system you’re currently using. Whether you’re just starting or already have thousands of notes, the Knowii system will help you organize and leverage them more effectively.Ready to Transform Mental Chaos Into Clarity?The difference between feeling overwhelmed and feeling in control isn’t about having less information—it’s about having a proven, integrated system.Knowii doesn’t just talk about better systems—it gives you the entire package: The community that supports you The courses that teach you The tools that implement it All in one comprehensive, ready-to-use solution.

Subscribe to Sébastien Dubois on Gumroad

New Workshops

I published three workshop videos on YouTube recently:

Obsidian Workshop

Deep dive into Obsidian and the Obsidian Starter Kit v3. Everything you need to get started.
Full notes: Knowii Community Event - Knowledge Builders - 2025-10-28 - Obsidian and OSK v3

Knowledge Management 101

Foundations of knowledge management. Why it matters. How to get started. What systems to build.
Full notes: Knowii Community Event - Knowledge Builders - 2025-07-23 - Knowledge Management 101

OSK v3 Deep Dive Workshop

Comprehensive exploration of every system in OSK v3. Actions. Health. Content. Maps. Creations.
Full notes: Knowii Community Event - Knowledge Builders - 2025-11-18 - OSK v3 Deep Dive Workshop

More workshops are planned for Obsidian, AI, and many other topics. Join the community to participate live.

Join us: https://store.dsebastien.net/l/knowii

The Lab 🧪

Beyond Knowii Voice AI, I've been building and experimenting with various things.

Also, since I started working on Knowii Voice AI, I've focused a lot of my energy on building, and much less on writing. And it's frustrating to me, because I have so much to write about. The backlog keeps growing. I'll get back to writing very soon. I'm also preparing new Knowii Community workshops, live streams and deep dive sessions.

Obsidian Starter Kit Plugin

I started building an Obsidian Starter Kit plugin. It will be included in future versions of the kit and will add first-class support for note types and strongly typed note properties.

Obsidian doesn't have native support for note types. You can use tags and properties, but there's no way to enforce a schema, ensure properties are correct, or validate values. No auto-completion beyond basic metadata. All because there's no native understanding of "this is a book note" vs "this is a project note."

The OSK plugin will change that. It will replace plugins like Metadata Menu plugin for Obsidian and Auto note mover plugin for Obsidian. Over time, I expect it to replace more plugins, making the whole system more cohesive and powerful.

I published a thread about it here: https://x.com/dSebastien/status/1978746095854563497. I also discussed it in the Knowii Community.

OSK Landing Page Refresh

I also refreshed the Obsidian Starter Kit landing page at https://obsidianstarterkit.com. Cleaner design. Better messaging. More focused.

Infrastructure Investments

I subscribed to a paid GitHub plan to build Knowii Voice AI releases for multiple operating systems (Windows, macOS, Linux). I also joined the Apple Developer Program ($99/year). These are financial risks I'm willing to take for that project. Building across platforms isn't cheap. But it's worth it.

Adobe Premiere Chapters to YouTube

I built a small tool for myself: convert Adobe Premiere chapters to YouTube format.

It started as a simple Node script: https://github.com/dsebastien/adobe-premiere-chapters-to-youtube
Then I built a web version: https://github.com/dsebastien/adobe-premiere-chapters-to-youtube-web
Published it at: https://adobe-premiere-markers-to-youtube.tools.dsebastien.net

Tiny tool. Solves a specific problem. Shared it in case others need it.

Omarchy

I installed Omarchy on my laptop. Omarchy is an Arch Linux-based distribution focused on productivity with Wayland and Hyprland.

It took me a while to get used to Wayland/Hyprland, but I love the productivity boost. No more managing windows manually. No more dragging things around. Tiling window management just works.

Quotes of the Week

Books

Right now I'm focusing on the the following books:

The Running Man (book) by Richard Bachman (Stephen King)
Nobody’s Fool (book) by Harlan Coben
Antifragile (book) by Nassim Nicholas Taleb (re-reading)

In addition to many others that are on the back burner: Purple Cow (book), How We Learn (book), Generative AI in Action (book), Generative Deep Learning (book), Sapiens (book), Build a Better Brain (book), Man's Search For Meaning (book), ...

I also finished reading various fiction books in the last couple of months:

Le Voyageur imprudent (book) by René Barjavel
Desperation (book) by Stephen King
Everything's Eventual (book) by Stephen King
You Like It Darker (book) by Stephen King
Elevation (book) by Stephen King
The Innocent (book) by Harlan Coben
Found (book) by Harlan Coben
Shelter (book) by Harlan Coben
Seconds Away (book) by Harlan Coben
The Street Lawyer (book) by John Grisham
Odd Thomas (book) by Dean Koontz
The Good Guy (book) by Dean Koontz
Flyover (book) by Douglas Kennedy
Bram Stoker's Dracula (book) by Bram Stoker
Blind Spot (book) by Paula Hawkins
The Anomaly (book) by Hervé le Tellier
J'aurais aimé te tuer (book) by Pétronille Rostagnat
Demain j'arrête ! (book) by Gilles Legardinier

New & Interesting Links

Obsidian

Maps in Obsidian Bases: Maps plugin for Obsidian
- I wrote a little tutorial based on this: How to capture GPS coordinates, import and display those in Obsidian
- Related article: https://medium.com/obsidian-observer/maps-in-obsidian-the-new-potential-of-bases-93125b575b36
Beginner's guide to Bases: https://medium.com/@lennart.dde/a-beginners-guide-to-bases-in-obsidian-your-data-your-way-773a72dc00db
Obsidian changelog (v1.10.1):
- https://obsidian.md/changelog/2025-10-21-desktop-v1.10.1
- https://obsidian.md/changelog/2025-10-21-mobile-v1.10.1
Obsidian Importer now lets you generate Markdown files from a CSV: https://x.com/obsdmd/status/1988704189829243336
Demo of the Notebook Navigator plugin for Obsidian (included in Obsidian Starter Kit v3): https://www.youtube.com/watch?app=desktop&v=0lXbEHKDLp8
CustomGPT that creates Obsidian-friendly notes from any text: https://chatgpt.com/g/g-6887932a58dc81919c58c3f763224f4c-obsidian-notes
Tip to import your Kindle library into Obsidian and get it organized with Bases using Claude Code: https://x.com/aref_vc/status/1974077964590723576
How to use Claude as a second brain: https://every.to/podcast/how-to-use-claude-code-as-a-thinking-partner?s=03

PKM / Thinking / Learning

Sketch Your Mind Conference
- Recordings: https://app.events.ringcentral.com/events/sketch-your-mind-conference/replay
- Visualization: https://link.excalidraw.com/readonly/eTwaLHae7kbyIpXKkS3d?s=03
PKM Weekly: https://www.pkmweekly.com/p/pkm-weekly-2025-11-01
Be careful with Obsidian: https://phong.bearblog.dev/be-careful-with-obsidian
- HN discussion: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=45678941
An important reminder that you need proper backups: https://www.reddit.com/r/ObsidianMD/comments/1oxxzp4/comment/np3uhzy
- My recommendations:
  - You NEED proper backups if you're serious about your knowledge base
  - Don't consider syncing as creating backups
  - Don't consider RAID as backup
  - Create actual backups
  - Create multiple backups (ideally)
  - Automate the creation of your backups
  - Store backups in different locations (locally and remotely)
  - Test your backups regularly
  - Consider app folders as danger zones that are totally unstable
- I wrote about this here for Obsidian: How I synchronize and backup my Obsidian notes & https://www.dsebastien.net/how-i-synchronize-and-backup-my-obsidian-notes
PKM apps need better resurfacing: https://ankursethi.com/blog/pkm-apps-need-to-get-better-at-resurfacing-information/
10 Years of building a second brain: https://blog.venturemagazine.net/i-spent-10-years-building-a-second-brain-e1eb82a402c2
Best PKM for late 2025: https://www.reddit.com/r/PKMS/comments/1nkuswa/best_pkm_for_late_2025
An updated version of the Konik Method of Eleanor Konik: https://open.substack.com/pub/eleanorkonik/p/the-konik-method-for-organizing-electronic
Interview with Mem.ai creator: https://open.spotify.com/episode/76k1C1DbNjUj7NtSbq5uZV
Awesome digital gardens

Demis Hassabis on the future of Knowledge: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TgS0nFeYul8
Local LLMs security paradox: https://quesma.com/blog/local-llms-security-paradox
Gemini 3: https://blog.google/products/gemini/gemini-3
Nano Banana Pro: https://blog.google/technology/ai/nano-banana-pro
Claude Opus 4.5: https://www.anthropic.com/news/claude-opus-4-5
Claude 4.5
Cool video about the fact that Claude Code can be used as a general-purpose agent: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MsQACpcuTkU
Claude Code Interpreter: https://simonwillison.net/2025/Sep/9/claude-code-interpreter
Claude can create Office files: https://www.linkedin.com/posts/claude_claude-can-now-create-and-edit-files-such-ugcPost-7371194328884453376-n3SL
Claude Code learning path: https://medium.com/@dan.avila7/claude-code-learning-path-a-practical-guide-to-getting-started-fcc601550476
Prompting is managing: https://contraptions.venkateshrao.com/p/prompting-is-managing
Your Brain on ChatGPT: Accumulation of Cognitive Debt when Using an AI Assistant for Essay Writing Task: https://arxiv.org/pdf/2506.08872v1
Free your LLMs: https://github.com/p-e-w/heretic
Create storybooks with Gemini: https://blog.google/products/gemini/storybooks
OpenAI Prompt Packs: https://academy.openai.com/public/tags/prompt-packs-6849a0f98c613939acef841c
System prompts of AI models: https://github.com/x1xhlol/system-prompts-and-models-of-ai-tools
ChatGPT project-only memory: https://help.openai.com/en/articles/6825453-chatgpt-release-notes#h_fb3ac52750
Open source clone of NotebookLM: https://github.com/lfnovo/open-notebook
Scary that shared Grok conversations can be found via search engines: site:https://grok.com/share wtf

Bootstrapping

Black Friday deals repo: https://github.com/trungdq88/Awesome-Black-Friday-Cyber-Monday
Changing the world: https://opuslabs.substack.com/p/how-to-flip-bits-in-the-world
VPS servers cost near to nothing now: https://www.ovhcloud.com/en-gb/vps/?s=03

Little Things I've Published Recently

Obsidian Starter Kit thread: https://x.com/dSebastien/status/1975937884307038317
Thread about mental leakage: https://x.com/dSebastien/status/1988935953130652016
How to download a single element in Canvas
How to create an Apple Distribution Certificate CSR on Windows

That's it for today! ✨

Black Friday Week Offer: -30%

Sebastien Dubois — Sat, 22 Nov 2025 07:30:10 GMT

I'm launching a sale for the Black Friday Week!

You can get 30% off on any of my products using the BLACKFRIDAY2025 discount code during checkout in my store:

Organize your thoughts, life & work⚡