Setup guide
Second Brain Setup: Building a Second Brain (BASB)
Practice Capture, Organize, Distill and Express using a small collection and a concrete output.
By tentus team · Updated 2026-10-26 · 1 min read
Method reference: Tiago Forte’s introductory guide. The workflow below is a practical adaptation, not a claim of automatic product behavior.
Capture selectively
Save a source because it helps answer a question or informs a project. Include its origin and a sentence about why it matters. Check imported text before relying on processing output.
Organize for the next use
Place or link the source where you will use it. Ask for suggestions if helpful, but decide which project or topic it belongs to. Automatic filing of every capture is not assumed.
Distill with verification
Write a short summary and retain the supporting passage. If Lumi drafts the summary, check omissions and interpretation against the original. Keep your wording separate from quotations.
Express something useful
Use the selected material to draft a decision memo, outline or explanation. Inspect each material claim and preserve the source trail. This practical adaptation of CODE is not a separate automated product mode.
Set it up with tentus
Use these steps with the tools available to you. tentus is preparing for pre-beta testing; join the waitlist to hear about access.
Other setup methods
Second Brain Setup: Zettelkasten
A practical linked-note exercise: write one idea, explain its connections and revisit the source.
Second Brain Setup: PARA Method
Apply Projects, Areas, Resources and Archives through a small, deliberate review of your notes.
Second Brain Setup: GTD Workflow
Use capture, clarification, organization and review to turn notes into decisions about what to do next.