Tiago Forte has pioneered the concept of a Second Brain. As the author of two books, he's learned that quantity and quality aren't opposing forces. Here's what else he's taught me about writing: 1. The brain is for having ideas, not storing them. Write stuff down. 2. If you really want to learn something, don't just consume information. Create something about it. 3. Note-taking is a form of time-travel. You don’t just take notes to remember ideas. You also take notes to remember experiences. Reading your notes takes you back to a different state of consciousness. Note-taking is a rebellion against the entropy of memory. 4. Save only the best notes: Don't hoard information. Save only the top 5-10% of your ideas. That way, you can trust that everything in your note-taking system is high-quality. 5. Tiago’s dad is an artist who taught him an important lesson: the energy to create art can dissipate in small, invisible ways if you let it. Set up a structure where you have the peace of mind and the bandwidth to do art. 6. The ultimate goal of note-taking is to improve your ideas. Too many people treat note-taking as an end in itself. But the goal of note-taking isn’t to save information. It’s to have ideas you wouldn’t have had otherwise. To be smarter, faster, and more creative. 7. Link notes together. Organize your ideas by topic, not by source. As you browse your note-taking system, consider the serendipity you want to create for your future self. For example, if you read two books about a topic, link those notes together. 8. In school, we’re taught to research before we write. Do the opposite. Compile notes over time. Then, once you have an idea, start writing immediately - right when you have an epiphany. Start researching after you've written a draft. 9. Create evergreen notes. Like a good investment, the benefits of your note-taking system should compound in value. Save ideas that will stay relevant for many years. Read the classics, skip the news. 10. Tiago publicly tested every idea in his book. For most, the internet is a blackhole of distraction. But it can instead be used as a place to do low-stakes experiments before you go all in. 11. The more expensive the location for a writer's retreat, the more it forces you to be productive. 12. "Be regular and orderly in your life, so that you may be violent and original in your work." - Gustave Flaubert, one of Tiago's favorite quotes. 13. The less formal and “official” a software program feels, the better Tiago writes. And he believes some of the best turns of phrase come out in messaging apps with friends. Stuck on something? Close the word doc and text a friend about it. 14. Every time you compress an idea, you make it more accessible. But you also lose context, depth, and nuance. 15. The ultimate test of how well you understand something is how clearly you can explain it in writing - clear writers are clear thinkers. 16. Twitter can help too. Stuck on a paragraph while writing your book? Well, send a tweet about it. If the idea resonates, bring it into your book. 17. Too many choices can cloud our creative process. The key to making progress is knowing when to take in new information and when to shut off all sources of distraction. Divergence and Convergence. 18. Anything you might want to accomplish-executing a project at work, getting a new job, learning a new skill, starting a business-requires finding and putting to use the right information. 19. Instead of working in “Heavy Lifts,” you can work in “Slow Burns.” Taking notes makes you less dependent on those long blocks of creative time you need when you have to complete creative projects in a single sitting. 20. Tiago: “If I could leave you with one last bit of advice, it is to chase what excites you.” 21. A bonus: “Run after your obsessions with everything you have. Just be sure to take notes along the way.”

This was so much fun!!! I think this interview puts all the others I’ve done previously to shame. Thank you for giving me a chance to dive deep into my writing philosophy, which is really my life philosophy 🙏

00:03 Editing is where the real work comes in. 02:39 Productive writing requires loading up a lot of context, making it challenging and exhausting. 08:11 Quality and quantity are not opposing forces in art creation. 11:04 Switch tracks when sensing writer's block to maintain productivity 16:20 Francis Ford Coppola's use of a notebook as a second brain for writing and filmmaking 18:56 Validating writing through public testing 24:19 Venkatesh Rao's blog, Ribbon Farm, is a treasure trove of insights. 26:56 Compression leads to gain in accessibility but loss in context and depth. 32:56 Progressive summarization helps to distill and express the most relevant information efficiently. 35:26 Manufacturing and creativity are complementary and not opposing concepts. 41:13 Simplifying the book to make it more accessible and reaching a broader audience 43:57 Transition from blogger to author and KZfaqr 49:29 The annual review process is time-consuming and confrontational 52:14 Curation as a learning process and accountability in public sharing for productive writing 57:31 The key point is about the intense productivity and speed during the creation of an online course together. 1:00:09 Writing has a bigger impact through conversations and specific time management.

No idea how this video so underrated

Thanks for having Tiago on. He's such an interesting guy. Fun fact: I've sat in that same book store in Aliso Viejo and read. ✌🏻

This is my first episode of your show. I loved everything about it. The setting was so cozy, I felt like I was right there with you both enjoying a lovely conversation. I was in cohort 12+ of BASB and the feedback I have from my experience is: What I loved: was revisiting the practice and exposure and networking with very smart and generous people. What I needed less of: was the speed and intensity. It was a large dedicated amount of time that felt like I was consuming on 1.75 speed. I would come away inspired and overwhelmed needing to recover before I could sit down and put what I had learned into action. I’m really appreciating Tiago’s changes and commitment to simplifying and slowing down. This deep distillation of removing jargon and speaking more plainly to a broader audience feels aligned with a higher purpose and vibration. BASB cohorts definitely played to my somewhat unconscious desire to feel special by being part of an exclusive insider’s club. And also gave me invaluable tools that I have adapted to my work style and use everyday. My life is richer as a result. Thank you both for the work that you do and sharing so much of your authentic selves and stories with us.

This episode was really insightful. One of my favorites so far. So many gems!

David and Tiago, thanks for sharing your knowledge. Awesome!

Best of your work! Love the vibe and the way you ask curious questions!!

Thank you so much David, These interviews have been so useful to me. I really appreciate it.

Oh this is going to be a heaterrrr!