Setup guide
Second Brain Setup: Building a Second Brain (BASB)
Tiago Forte's BASB framework is the most popular second-brain system. Here's how to implement CODE — Capture, Organize, Distill, Express — with AI doing the heavy lifting.
Capture with AI enrichment
Every capture gets a first-pass processing: key points extracted, entities identified, related content linked. Your inbox is not a dump — it's a first draft of organized knowledge.
Organize through links, not folders
BASB emphasizes organizing for actionability. AI links each capture to the projects and areas it relates to. You don't file into folders; you just write, and the system handles organization.
Distill through progressive summarization
AI highlights the boldest passages and flags what can be summarized further. When you revisit a note, the summary layers build naturally — each pass adds a new level.
Express with AI as your editor
When you're ready to create, pull relevant captures into a working document. AI helps structure them into a coherent draft. Your own ideas, organized by the system, polished by you.
Set it up with tentus
tentus makes this methodology practical. Lumi handles the linking and surfacing so you focus on the thinking.
Other setup methods
Second Brain Setup: Zettelkasten
The Zettelkasten method is the gold standard for networked thought. Here's how to set it up with AI so the linking happens automatically.
Second Brain Setup: PARA Method
Tiago Forte's PARA method organizes everything into Projects, Areas, Resources, and Archives. Here's how to make it work with AI.
Second Brain Setup: GTD Workflow
David Allen's Getting Things Done is the original productivity workflow. Here's how AI keeps the capture-clarify-organize-review cycle running without the upkeep.