Should Notion Be Your Second Brain? | ft. Thomas Frank
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 17 พ.ค. 2024
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I asked Notion expert, productivity guru, and TH-camr Thomas Frank to rate how the popular productivity app Notion stacks up as a Second Brain notetaking app. Find out what he told me.
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Oooh this edit turned out so good! Thanks again for inviting me out; this was as ton of fun. Can't wait to share the video we shot for my channel ;)
Well I am all hyped up
Good stuff Frank. I agree I would love hand writing in this. And thank you for that habit tracker.
YESSS!!
Can’t wait to watch it ;D
@@TiagoForte r
Points from Thomas for each category:
1) Searchability: 7
2) Duplication: 9
3) Access anywhere: 7
4) Shareability: 10
5) Being Editable: 9
6) Upgradeability: 8.5
7) Transferability: 3
8) Linking: 8
9) Multimedia: 8
10) Metadata: 9
11) Automation (bonus category): 9
Overall Points:
78.5 of 100
87.5 of 110 (bonus included)
Thank you guys for the video! I immediately saved it to my second brain in Notion ;)
I love Notion and use it for almost anything. But I think this list is missing one last thing - collaboration with others/project mangement amongst a team (and Calendar integration without a 3rd party app/plugin) - I give it a 2 out fo 10. It was failing until the last few months where they've released better Gannt Charts/Timelines and the sub-child/parent option. I think now with a bit of tweaking it can be Asana for my team. Haven't really jumped into it as I use Notion for most of my personal day to day, but looking forward to finally having my team in Notion and my whole life in Notion (kinda scary too). Let's see.
What template are you using? Pleas help
Would love to see the same conversation with Evernote. Check how it holds up versus all the apps popping out.
I studied International Relations, and the most important requirement of the major is to be updated with the news. But not only read them but keep track of them to understand local, regional and international conflicts. Thanks to Notion I was able to create a News Matrix where, with the clip tool, I save all the news that I consider relevant and I can categorize them by region, State or topic. I was also able to create my Conflict Matrix, where I can store all the relevant information and have my database of country profiles. These three databases, along with my reading database, are rollup, and have become a fantastic work tool, when I need to do an analysis for my work or write a paper. It saves me a lot of research time because I already have everything I need to write. And the best thing is that it has been built naturally for the last four years. I don't know if this can be considered a second brain, but it works for me. Great video!🙌🏼
Thanks for sharing! It’s a great tip in classifying the knowledge we come across. Going to utilize with my work!
As a truck driver, I would love offline access. Sometimes I can park in the middle of nowhere with no wifi.
Amazing production quality! I use both Evernote and Notion and both have their strengths, but the question was focused on whether Notion should be your "Second Brain," which for me is mostly about Collection and Retrieval. I think the criteria for evaluation downplayed some important factors. Evernote's ability to capture content in a huge variety of formats, especially with a far better web-clipper, and including images and handwriting, with the ability to RETRIEVE embedded content in those images, blows Notion away. On the other hand, Notion can slice and dice created materials far more effectively. Thus I see Evernote as the best "content library" with Notion as the best content creator. As was noted, I am greatly disturbed by the captivity of my data once in Notion, as well as the lack of offline accessibility. These are not issues to be glossed over.
I think this is actually objectively the right answer.
I second Evernote as a trustworthy stead for storing my content in an easy access 'library'
Frank knows his stuff. These are pretty honest and informed answers.
Really loved this Thomas and Tiago - epic! ✅
One day we'll do one of these 😀
I only started looking into using Notion last month even though I signed up a year or 2 ago. Personally I love Google Keep for things like labels, color code notes, ability to record audio (could be improved as actual audio not just dictation and stops immediately), and for drawing things (could be improved a bit too). I wish Notion would bring in things like this and also integrate better as a Calendar tool with reminders/tasks like Google's.
The real challenge is not avoiding failure. It’s learning from it, and choosing to persevere rather than be harden or shamed into inaction by the knowledge of our failures..
Wow, your production quality is off the charts now! Very fine presentation and looking forward to more frequent content!
As usual amazing work and content. The lighting and filming are awesome . Thank you guys for the great knowledge sharing session .
That was a strong point about Notion needing a handwriting block. It’s the only thing stopping me from buying an iPad and stylus for my wife _tomorrow_ .
(Wife is a power Notion user but I use my reMarkable 2 tablet for all my notes)
Really interesting video & honest too! I'm currently switching a fair amount of my system into Obsidian for reasons that coincide with the few negative points mentioned here. Notion is brilliant at what it does but it is a worry that I do not feel like I own a solid copy of my data, research and ideas. Offline access is also an issue that raised its head on a recent camping trip with no signal. Journalling was a no go, and I had wanted to take a checklist of things we had needed & not taken - so it was all setup for the next camping trip. Instead I had to resort to notes and updating Notion when I got back, which was a pain when I had a million of other things to do too!
For projects and collaborations as an online tool it is excellent & I will continue to use it as an outlet, but as a second brain I started to feel like I was ploughing way too much time and information into something that wasn't really my own. Obsidian at its heart is markdown and it lives primarily local to the device with the additional option to backup or sync, this to me now is something that has to be a much higher priority even if that means foregoing some of the nicer layout options in Notion (which on the flipside can also be a distraction - there has definately been a positive change moving to something that is predominantly text).
I think the other issue with Notion is as a proprietary tool, you are bending the way you do things to whatever system they currently decide to implement.
The new features have mostly been worthy upgrades but the time involved in having to update your system for it is something I was starting to feel a bit of a slave to. Take the statuses as one recent change. Definately a positive step but also meant I had to spend a good bit of time updating all my databases to make proper use of it. That also lead to time having to remove properties that were no longer needed then again more time updating the filters on every single database view that needed it. Sure I could have stuck with old system but then as the data grows and everything with it changing at a later date becomes an even bigger job that goes against everything you need to stay productive so you kind of feel forced into it.
Great work Tiago! So excited that you're starting such great video work! 👏
Transferability - If I needed to port our content to another platform, I would use Notion’s very accessible API’s to automate the process. While I haven't looked yet, but there must be people building tools for this very purpose.
Thanks for all the hard work you both put in! Great content ❤
Nice quality video! you just went to a new level with this new setup, video, editing and everything... Hope to see you more active on youtube from now on
Always a pleasure to see a thomas, such a great guy
Love how comprehensive this is! Every second feels like it adds value to me as a beginner Notion user.
This was such a good vid. Just discovered your channel, have watched hours of Thomas’ videos. Thanks for this you two
Thomas has been a legend in the game for a long time. Good to see him still doing well.
Videos like this about platforms scoring in each property of the second brain are such a great idea! Would love one about tools like Roam/RemNote/Obsidian (“for gardeners”)
Yes!! I'd love one for Obsidian!
It’s done, with Nick Milo from Linking Your Thinking
So great to see you two together in a video.
Great informative video.
Thanks, Tiago and Thomas. :)
Now this is a professional video editing.
For me, I care about privacy a lot. E2E encryption matters to me.
Also there is a hidden factor and that is how much do you like to use a certain app. Of course it's a subjective thing.
Notion though beautiful is not my cup of tea.
Can't wait for similar videos about Roam, Obsidian & Evernote.
This channel will explode.
My question was around privacy as well. What do you use instead?
Excited to see you both share thoughts in this topic !!
Tiago, super happy to find you on TH-cam. We've chatted on twitter so I am stoked to see your video content.
This video format became amazing. Can't wait for the next ones.
Very well done. The convo, editing, lighting setup, etc.
My word, I had to re-watch that intro!! 30 seconds that got me very excited😁😁
I really love Notion, and I've been using it for several years. However, I recently moved to a new place with a poor internet connection, and I'm having many troubles using it. I'm wondering when will an offline function will come out?
I quit Notion to my productivity system because don’t have notification for projects, it was awful to following up activities, but I’m going to let another chance to build my Second Brain.
Really enjoyed this content but I wanted to say this studio lighting is on point! 👌🏽
I'll be waiting for the second part of the collaboration on Thomas's channel
Was not aware of Upgrade and Automation aspects. Thanks for discussing. Worth exploring should needs arise!
Notion is my go to tool (3 years!)for Human / Computer Integration and Productivity. Love it!
ahhhhhhhhhhh so excited for the Tiago on TH-cam magic!!! Let's go!
Fantastic interview and responses. Well done!!!
Oh WOW, Tiago and Thomas, two of the coolest and smartest dudes!!😊🙏🙏
Thanks for the awesome video!!
Thomas mentioned one of the features he would love to have is to be able to share a filtered view with other users, which would give them access only to the things in that view and not the rest of the database.
Any news on if that might become a feature soon?
Great interleaving of Thomas's existing setup
It was a pleasure watching those guys talk about productivity
Nice production quality Tiago!
I was searching for this topic ❤️!!
This video was next level, quality and content.
Great content as always!
Man I have been waiting for this for months now
I'm trying to use Notion as Second Brain - so thanks for this!
Great video! Thorough and accurate explanation of Notion.
Loved this video and Mr Frank gave some good ratings, obviously educated on the competition and not just a fanboy. Would love to see a chart with these ten factors across all apps.
YES THE HANDWRITING FEATURE IS REALLY WHAT I NEED IN NOTION AND ILL TRANSFER ALL MY SCHOOL NOTES THERE
Great Interview.
So underrated :)
they look like the icons i'd set on my pages in Notion
This was great!!!! Thank you!!!
Thanks for the overview. I'm a huge admire of Tiagos work. I use notion as a task manager with my team ( 52 People) - works great . For PKM I still use one note. I heavily rely on hand written stuff (with my iPad via Palle pencil) and I see no possibility so far how I can integrate hand written notes in notion ( no I don't mean as a picture)
Love this amazing video ! 🚀🔥 as I was just saying on twitter
👉As a little feedback, the function Thomas Frank was refering to at 4:27 is the double parenthesis (( for bloc reference and not the page reference [[ I think
Wooooohooooo!! So good to see this thing come to life :D
Great collaboration! I want more… :)
Great video! I'm using obsidian but notion is amazing :) I'm a gardener and I made a whole library in obsidian. From what I've seen, notion would get a bit cluttered. Glad to see it works for some though.
Hey Tiago, this is great!
Loved this video even though I stopped using notion over 2 years ago.
Just one thing, the music was a bit overwhelming at times.
Can't wait to see more content like this. When you said you wanted to up your video game in your annual review, you definitely delivered.
This is literally one of the best videos ever made. Thanks guys.
Which 3 tools constitute a second brain
Loved the conversation. Really interested to get some other apps scores in the future, Evernote, Roam, Apple notes, Obsidian ...
Obsidian video is up
@@gradientO I have seen, watched and commented 😁
What a great video! Can this be a series?! It was so helpful! You should interview different people who are heavy users of Roam, Obsidian, Evernote, Notion, and more to help people compare. Love your work!
@@TiagoForte what a legend! Can't wait.
I second this suggestion. It was my exact thougths while watching the video. 😉
Wowow!!!! Love this collaboration 😍😍😍
Nice video editting!
Great concepts here, I linked it in my own Notion to go back to and refrerence!
I just bought your book
Amazing video!
I think the biggest issue with notion IMO is privacy but Few people talk about it unfortunately
Your second brain is your most intimate posession so privacy should be a critical part of the criteria (I think)
Agree. Unfortunately, this might be the next thing that is sold out, by who knows What type of conglomerate. I use it, but with that key point always in mind.
Definitely agree. 1. handwriting block 2. filtered sharable database. 3. tagging system
Love the hot tip to create a basic explainer video and then self critique it.
Great video about the tool to rule them all
Nice video! But sadly no word about privacy and data security...
I really really wanted to like Notion, but the thing that killed it for me is that it's simply not fast enough. For random things I encounter during the day or quick thoughts that pop up and I want to save, the time-to-first-word (if that makes sense) is just too long booting up Notion, so I always end up just using the Notes app on my phone. That's not a great solution either, I know, but it's the only thing that's workable for me.
I hear you - typically Notion is fast enough on my desktop, but there are times when the mobile app doesn't get me to where I need to be fast enough. They're certainly improving on that front (it used to be way worse), but I hope they'll improve even more.
One thing I do: If I have something I need to brain-dump NOW, I use Otter. It records my voice and transcribes it far better than Siri dictation or any other auto-dictation I've used. Then I can just embed that into Notion later.
@@Thomasfrank OOOOH THİS İS SUCH A GOOD ADVİCE
Can you track everything you enter into notion by Date / Time and then be able to see at the end of a workday just what you have been doing with your time. Appreciate that it requires you to update Notion religiously.
I work in a sales environment and want to see how I am spending my time. I can then add a written journal entry at the end of the day.
Thanks for doing this as a breakdown. It not working offline makes it a dealbreaker for me.
Would love to see a video like that about Obsidian
Hi, I use notability and things 3. Would Notion have an advantage over these. I don’t want to just add another app to my system. Thanks!
The point that in my opinion is the most important is the most badly noted!
3 is catastrophic... The export possibility is the most crucial. (We saw the problems with Evernote...)
It bothers me because I really wanted to use Notion for some things.
@12:57 Handwriting and drawing blocks!! yes and amen. 😂
wish if we could also add minmaps as 12th category :)
I would love to know what kind of projects people are working on that requires a second brain. I can barely find a use for my first brain. Rarely do I use old information. If it's not worth committing to memory, it's almost always unworthy of jotting down. If it's worth jotting down, I almost always commit it to memory. Perhaps I don't have a professional use case for a second brain, but I still find them to be too cumbersome to maintain. I don't have the patience to load up an app, fill in cells in a database, and sort/filter results for future retrieval. Maybe I'm just a simpleton who has no professional need, but I find these apps to be far beyond what I need on a day-to-day basis. I love the innovation, and I want to use them, but I haven't ever found a reason that makes sense. When I wake up in the morning, I can't think of a single time where I have dug back into the past to find information to help me get through my day. Information is time-sensitive; if it's not useful now, it's almost certainly not going to be useful tomorrow. For example, I used to use Pocket to save articles. However, I found that I never actually read old articles. I created massive lists of articles I never read (or reread in some cases). Even the most fascinating information collected digital dust within these lists. I believe the reason for this is that there is a flood of new information coming in at all times, probably more than at any point in human history. It's hard to go back to old information and make any use of it.
Even though I agree with you almost utterly, I think that the benefit of making notes is that you're processing it a bit differently while you're making the notes. I find the very moment extremely helpful, especially when you plan to use this knowledge in the future. Unfortunately, I don't find digital apps helpful. It doesn't cause my brain to focus enough on the content. One thing related to Notion that draws my attention is that almost every video I've watched had a sponsored-like vibe.
It’s either you don’t work on complex projects or you have photographic memory
How would you implement CLIENTS database within a system based on PARA method. Should we consider them as a RESOURCE? or essentially a completely different DATABASE (like AREAS, PROJECTS, ACTIVE TASKS....)?
This is a Hollywood level production video!
Omg I love Milan Kundera.
Did you do this same comparison with Evernote?
FYI, check your security settings on Notion, as your data has no privacy what so ever. Also read the "terms and conditions" for privacy because there are "vague" clauses in there as to what Notion does with your data.
A good reason not to put finances, passwords, contacts or ID stuff on there! I definitely filter my content on Notion accordingly.
I only need offline support, better search and universal tags in order to make a switch from Evernote to Notion.
Dayyyummmmmm. What a duo!
@@TiagoForte I'm game! 35 mine drive!
This may seem silly, but until watching this specific video, I hated using the search. I wanted to see how fast it was and what it could do for me. Previously I hadn't ever really tried it or even put any thought into it. I realize now that it works a bit like spotlight on a basic level. So now I don't have to visually scan lists or remember where something was nested. So, if anything, thanks for that!
a Note App should have nothing short of an AI manager, that can organise like a Libirian. You select, mark, write your note, and the AI LIBERIAN post it under all possible related subject matters. And should even have a suggestion capability, presented to you for approval or disaproval. a Voice capability/dictation and a set of commands should also be an capability of the app.
" Imagine a personal assistant following ELON MUSK around and taking around the clock notes, filling those notes an recalling those notes at a moments notice."
Nice one guys.
The green screen background could have been better! I will give it a solid 6 out of 10
I wish security was discussed.
Very cool!
mate, thomas is looking huge, nice bulk
Wait how do you sync it with Google Calendar????
Great video and a well-structured approach for validating a tool! I wonder what type of user Thomas might be or what combination: 50% architect, 30% gardener, 20% librarian? What if he was 80% gardener? Probably a different validation.
I would love to see 12 episodes: Notion, Roam, Obsidian, Evernote validated by a gardener, an architect and a librarian :-)
I’d guess 60/40 architect librarian
Great series idea, sharing to the team
A very confusing yet powerful app... trying to learn it :D
What about ease of capturing information from other sources? This is why I’ve stuck with Evernote even though Notion has a much cleaner interface.
I have been a user of Notion for the past 5 years and the single most annoying problem is when you have laggy internet the notes that you saved in the app vanishes or atleast some parts of it. So now i am switching to Obsidian.
Is Notion storing the database local to the machine yet.
Love it :D