Building a personal knowledge base

I try to unload all information that matters to me from my brain into external storage, because I don’t like to rely on my memory—and honestly, I don’t trust it.

In this blog post, I’ll share my current approach to working with a personal knowledge base.

Apps and methods

I’ve tried a lot of different tools and methods for storing knowledge. I still haven’t found the perfect solution, but here are my takeaways from the ones I’ve used.

Evernote

As far as I remember, that was my first app for storing information. It was slow and buggy. After the first major sync issue, which resulted in some lost documents, I dropped it.

Simplenote

A free note-taking service with solid apps for macOS and iOS. I used it for a couple of years but then abandoned it for some reason I honestly can’t remember.

TheBrain

This isn’t a typical note-taking app but more like a mind-mapping tool. You create nodes that can contain text, images, video, or other media, and then link them together. It’s a very powerful way of mapping your knowledge. Check out Jerry’s brain, which he’s been curating for over 20 years.

The major drawback for me was the time it took to manage. You can’t just pull it up on your phone to quickly save a note or look something up.

Bear

A great writing app with lots of features. I used it for a while, but it just didn’t click with how I like to store knowledge.

Zettelkasten method

In a nutshell, this method means storing each piece of information in a separate file with a unique ID (usually the current timestamp), then interlinking them using those IDs. You can use it with pretty much any note-taking app, or even paper cards. The method’s inventor, Niklas Luhmann, had more than 90,000 of these cards.

I used TheArchive app, which was made for this method. It was great, but the lack of an iOS app and no way to insert images pushed me to look for something else.

Apple Notes

This is what I currently use. It’s a pretty basic note-taking app compared to others I’ve tried, but since it integrates really well with iOS and macOS, it makes note-taking and managing convenient (even on my iPhone). At this point, that convenience matters more to me than extra features.

To search notes, I use the search-notes-app Alfred workflow. To quickly save notes, I use Keyboard Maestro macros: (store from the clipboard, store from text input).

When I come across something I want to keep, I add it to a new temporary note, which automatically goes into a “Notes” folder I use as my inbox. I don’t edit or categorize it right away, so I don’t break my workflow. Then, every once in a while, I go through the “Notes” folder and process everything.

Other tools

I haven’t used these myself, but I’ve read a lot of positive reviews. If you’re hunting for the perfect knowledge management tool, maybe one of these will fit you:

  • Microsoft OneNote — Similar to Apple Notes, but with tagging and more features.
  • nvALT — A simple, plain-text notes app. Super fast with great UX.
  • Emacs org-mode — An Emacs mode for notes. Tons of features like TODOs, calendar, tables, planning.
  • GitBook — Turns Markdown files into a clean web-based wiki. Great if you want to make your base public.
  • Notion — An all-in-one service for notes, wikis, spreadsheets, and more. Feels a bit overkill for just a knowledge base.

What to store

It’s up to you to decide what’s worth storing. My rule of thumb (which I apply to a lot of things) is: start simple, then analyze and improve iteratively. Same here—don’t try to archive the whole Internet. Start by unloading personal information (people, thoughts, dates). That’s usually the heaviest burden on your memory, and also the hardest (or impossible) to recover later.

Some other, less obvious things I find worth saving:

Checklists

If you occasionally need to do something with multiple steps, create a checklist. That way you don’t have to think about whether you missed something.

For example, I have a list of things I need when traveling. Using it, I can pack my backpack in 15 minutes.

Important dates

For dates I need reminders about, I use Things and Google Calendar. But there are also dates I just want to keep for reference (like when I moved to another country). I keep those in a separate note in my knowledge base.

People

I keep a list of acquaintances and info like where they work and where we met.

Places

For every country, I keep a note of interesting places. So when planning a trip, I already have a starting list of things to visit.

Thoughts and facts on general topics

When I come across an interesting fact or an idea pops into my head, I add it to the relevant topic note.

Also worth checking: Derek Sivers on topic journals.

Other people’s knowledge bases

Here are some great knowledge bases full of useful info, and also good examples of how others manage theirs: