# The Future of Notetaking | Second Brain Summit 2022 ![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/nhAVXkm-kww/maxresdefault.jpg) ## Introduction [(00:00:00)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nhAVXkm-kww&t=0s) - There is a lot of hype around the future of note-taking. [(00:00:10)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nhAVXkm-kww&t=10s) - The future of note-taking may involve sharing notes publicly and integrating note-taking into how we think. [(00:01:18)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nhAVXkm-kww&t=78s) - [[Social media]] can be used in a healthy and productive way for note-taking. [(00:02:41)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nhAVXkm-kww&t=161s) ## Notes app generations are speeding up [(00:03:00)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nhAVXkm-kww&t=180s) - Note-taking technology is evolving in increasingly shorter generations. [(00:03:14)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nhAVXkm-kww&t=194s) - The rapid pace of software updates and real-time [[Information exchange | information sharing]] contributes to the quick evolution of note-taking tools. [(00:05:08)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nhAVXkm-kww&t=308s) - Individuals engaged in the note-taking community are considered early adopters who are already experiencing the future of note-taking. [(00:05:32)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nhAVXkm-kww&t=332s) ## Overcoming notetaking & creative perfectionism [(00:06:36)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nhAVXkm-kww&t=396s) - People can be too focused on finding a note-taking app with perfect features, when simpler tools are sufficient for creation. [(00:06:57)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nhAVXkm-kww&t=417s) - Many people are hesitant to publish creative work online, believing it's too late to start blogging, vlogging, or creating other content. [(00:07:38)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nhAVXkm-kww&t=458s) - Spending too much time trying to perfect creative work early in the process can be counterproductive; it's better to gain experience through repetition and putting work out there, even if it's not perfect. [(00:08:44)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nhAVXkm-kww&t=524s) ## The power of “fresh brains” & outside perspective [(00:09:35)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nhAVXkm-kww&t=575s) - Working on a book for an extended period (over a couple of years) allows for experiencing the work in different moods, states of mind, and perspectives. [(00:10:18)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nhAVXkm-kww&t=618s) - Seeking external feedback during the creative process, such as discussing ideas with friends or sharing drafts, can provide valuable insights and fresh perspectives. [(00:10:31)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nhAVXkm-kww&t=631s) - Taking breaks from a piece of work and returning to it later with a fresh mind can help in evaluating its quality and impact more objectively. [(00:12:09)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nhAVXkm-kww&t=729s) ## Do new apps enable new thinking? [(00:13:16)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nhAVXkm-kww&t=796s) - Note-taking is a universal skill, similar to thinking externally, and information management tools have replaced basic thinking processes. [(00:13:57)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nhAVXkm-kww&t=837s) - Rome attempts to automate research assistant tasks by providing an infinitely flexible organization system for notes with various potential uses. [(00:15:40)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nhAVXkm-kww&t=940s) - PARA simplifies note organization by focusing on actionability and using a timeline-based system for projects, resources, areas, and archives. [(00:16:17)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nhAVXkm-kww&t=977s) ## Where Roam Research has run into trouble [(00:16:26)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nhAVXkm-kww&t=986s) - Roam Research may have encountered challenges by replacing certain thinking processes with others, such as requiring users to add double brackets for linking instead of automatically finding mentions of a term. [(00:16:28)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nhAVXkm-kww&t=988s) - While some users enjoy spending time organizing and linking information in their databases, this approach may not align with the general trend of technology becoming more user-friendly and less time-consuming. [(00:17:03)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nhAVXkm-kww&t=1023s) - Roam Research could benefit from providing users with a pre-defined taxonomy of common concepts, such as books, people, and places, to simplify the process of organizing and searching for information. [(00:17:33)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nhAVXkm-kww&t=1053s) ## The risk of Luddism (late adopter curve) [(00:19:00)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nhAVXkm-kww&t=1140s) - People who were excited about the emergence of personal computers (PCs) were interested in the possibilities of the technology, even if they weren't sure where it was going. [(00:19:31)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nhAVXkm-kww&t=1171s) - Word processing software became ubiquitous and invisible as a technology once it was adopted by younger generations and used in schools. [(00:21:46)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nhAVXkm-kww&t=1306s) - An individual's position on the adopter curve, which describes how early or late someone adopts new technology, influences their technology choices, and people can be successful regardless of their position on the curve. [(00:22:49)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nhAVXkm-kww&t=1369s) ## Why people move in notetaking cohorts [(00:24:15)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nhAVXkm-kww&t=1455s) - Best-selling authors from roughly 2007 to 2015 all use [[Evernote]] because that was when they were heavily using note-taking to build their knowledge base. [(00:24:39)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nhAVXkm-kww&t=1479s) - When people are new to note-taking, it makes sense to try many options and different apps, but once a few thousand notes have been accumulated, it is more beneficial to focus on using that knowledge. [(00:25:31)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nhAVXkm-kww&t=1531s) - People go through a similar cycle with productivity, where they try many systems and then settle into a workflow to focus on getting work done. [(00:26:19)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nhAVXkm-kww&t=1579s) ## Do you switch notes apps too often? [(00:27:02)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nhAVXkm-kww&t=1622s) - In the past, institutions often chose software and technology for individuals, limiting their choices. [(00:27:08)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nhAVXkm-kww&t=1628s) - The frequency of new technology and software generations has increased, requiring more frequent decisions about adoption. [(00:27:42)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nhAVXkm-kww&t=1662s) - Constantly switching between note-taking apps in pursuit of the latest technology can be counterproductive, similar to switching lines frequently. [(00:27:57)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nhAVXkm-kww&t=1677s) ## Will one note app eventually rule them all? [(00:29:50)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nhAVXkm-kww&t=1790s) - There is a widespread misconception that note-taking apps will converge into a single dominant platform. [(00:29:51)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nhAVXkm-kww&t=1791s) - The diversity of note-taking apps is increasing due to the lack of a significant advantage for any single app to dominate the market. [(00:32:14)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nhAVXkm-kww&t=1934s) - The emergence of a highly advanced research assistant tool could potentially lead to the consolidation of users onto a single note-taking platform. [(00:32:32)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nhAVXkm-kww&t=1952s)