DeveloPassion's Newsletter #200 - OSK v3 - The 7-Week Marathon
A newsletter discussing AI, Knowledge Work, Knowledge Management Systems, Zen Productivity, Personal Organization, and everything in between!
Hello everyone! I’m Sébastien Dubois, your host. You’re receiving this email because you signed up for DeveloPassion’s Newsletter. Thank you for being here with me ✨
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Welcome
Welcome to all the new readers ❤️
Edition 200 🤩
Two hundred newsletters. That's a lot of showing up, sharing, building in public. When I started, I had no clue where this would go. And here we are.
The past weeks? Intense. Really intense.
My kids went back to school and it was really exhausting. My daughter is now in high school, and the transition wasn't easy for her. Not at all!
Then I disappeared for a while. Deep focus mode. Emerged exhausted but proud. I shipped something big. Something I've been thinking about for months. Something that forced me to battle my perfectionism and finally... ship.
This edition isn't just about hitting 200. It's about what happened between 199 and 200. Seven weeks of work. Late nights. Early mornings. Refactoring my entire vault. Redesigning systems. Rewriting docs. And finally shipping Obsidian Starter Kit v3.
Let me tell you how it went 🚀
This Week's Highlights
- Released Obsidian Starter Kit v3 after 7 weeks of intense work 🎉
- Completely revamped how I organize knowledge with new systems for actions, health, content, and more
- Presented two major Knowii workshops: Personal Organization 101 and Journaling Deep Dive
- Knowledge Management for Beginners hit 150+ students
- Updated Knowledge Worker Kit with $240+ worth of bonuses
- Ran 2 semi-marathons in a week (then had to take a break after injury 😂)
- Built a weekly planner tool with my son using AI
- Started developing the Obsidian Starter Kit plugin to bring first-class note type support to Obsidian
Before You Go Any Further
I want to reach more people. Got 20 seconds? Then share the link with one friend/colleague who would benefit from joining us! And of course, don't forget to also mention the Knowii Community ❤️
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The Lab 🧪
The lab has been really busy. Multiple OSK releases (2.3.0, 2.3.1, and the big one: 3.0.0). Fixed bugs in Dataview Serializer plugin for Obsidian. Updated the Knowledge bundle. Started building the OSK plugin. Got my first Udemy payout for Knowledge Management for Beginners, and hit 150 students now ❤️
I've been experimenting a whole lot. I subscribed to Claude Max (I was hitting limits too fast). I've built a weekly planner with my son using AI (open sourced it on GitHub). I've created really cool journaling visualizations. Went deep on Obsidian Bases and created multiple bases. Most are now in OSK v3 now. I've also completely revamped the landing page of the Obsidian Starter Kit.
I've also republished my "Everything PKM" bundle: https://store.dsebastien.net/l/everything-pkm
On other news, I also started publishing raw thoughts over at:
I've also published a new video from the Knowledge Management for Beginners course:
Last but not least, while working on the Obsidian Starter Kit - User Guide, I published tons of notes I've been wanting to write. They're all out there now. Free.
Next up, I intend to resume organizing Knowii Community events/workshops, making progress on the Knowledge Worker Kit, and further improve the Obsidian Starter Kit.
Obsidian Starter Kit v3: The 7-Week Journey
This release almost broke me (seriously!).
I started in late August with a clear vision. I wanted to make many changes to my system. I wanted to fully use metadata properties through bases. I was convinced it would level up my practice. And it did.
Obsidian Starter Kit fully leverages the newly released Obsidian Bases. Thanks to those, I implemented various systems I needed: action tracking (goals → plans → projects → tasks), health tracking, content curation, content consumption, ...
It took me seven weeks. Tons of coffee. My shoulder hurt and my neck ached all day. It wasn't reasonable. But I couldn't wing it. I wanted it done. Needed it done. And now it's done 🎉
Around week 5 I was exhausted. Really exhausted. I had refactored the entire vault structure, redesigned tags, created & updated many templates, built multiple Obsidian Bases, written comprehensive docs for each system. But I still wasn't done.
Perfectionism kicked in. "Just one more system. One more improvement. Make this doc section better." But I had to stop. Had to ship. A product that never ships just dies in development hell...
So I shipped 3.0.0. I was exhausted, but really proud.
What Changed in OSK v3?
Here's what OSK v3 brings:
Folder Structure Overhaul: The old structure was solid but couldn't support all my ideas. So I reorganized different things. I introduced a new "20 Actions" zone for goals, plans, projects, tasks. I regrouped maps (MoCs and Bases for now) under "34 Maps". I isolated creations. I added spaces for curated content, highlights, visualizations, etc.
Tag System Revolution: Every note type now has its own hierarchical tag (e.g., #type/permanent_note, #type/periodic_note/daily, #type/creation/quote, ...). I also introduced zone tags based location. Old flat tags? Gone.
Action System: Goals → plans → projects → tasks. Everything is connected. For this system, I fully took advantage of Obsidian Bases and the TaskNotes plugin for Obsidian (which is really great). Now using that system, you can define goals (notes), break them into plans (notes), develop projects (notes), execute tasks (notes). Everything is linked, trackable, clear and manageable.
Dot System: I introduced a new system to capture the smallest units of wisdom & knowledge. Now you can capture every fleeting idea, insight, random thought, etc. And you can literally connect the dots.
Health System: Track workouts, meals, sleep, mood, energy. Dedicated bases and views. Knowledge work needs a healthy mind and body.
Maps System: Obsidian Bases and MoCs unified. Both are maps. Both are powerful. And in the future, I'll add support for more types of maps (including actual maps).
Content Curation & Learning: Systems for capturing highlights from articles, books, newsletters, papers, podcasts, videos. Complete curation system for content you want to engage with. This system fully supports going from AI/algorithm-driven consumption to mindful consumption.
Creation System: Articles, books, courses, newsletters, podcasts, videos, stories, poems, etc. Those all have dedicated spaces and templates. And they all have a clear lifecycle, support progress tracking, publication status, etc.
Documentation: I completely rewrote the user guide from scratch. Comprehensive. Clear. Theory, systems, reference, tutorials. It's a knowledge management education: Obsidian Starter Kit - User Guide.
Importantly, this release actually brings first-class support for AI. Before these changes, I was already able to fully leverage my knowledge base with AI (e.g., using Claude Code either through the MCP server for Obsidian (Python) or directly using the filesystem). But with this release and its reference documentation, it's easier than ever to point AI to your notes and have it understand how everything is organized, the naming conventions, the metadata, etc. And I intend to go even further with future releases.
Side note: I've been tempted to remove folders for a while. But I'm not convinced yet. There's still an underlying file system and I want to avoid name clashes and folders with a gazillion files. Plus certain things don't feel nice when put together... And if something is mis-tagged, it's going to be tough finding it back. Lastly I find folders useful for AI consumption (eg go read my last 10 meeting notes in folder X vs find those in my haystack...). So even with my big overhaul, I'm keeping folders for a bit longer.
And that's just the tip of the iceberg. There's a TON more. Want to see what all the fuss is about? Check out the release notes: Obsidian Starter Kit - Release Notes - 3.0.0 to grasp what's included in this huge release.
You can also explore the different posts I've published in the Knowii community, showcasing different features:
The OSK Obsidian Plugin
But I'm not done. I just started building the Obsidian Starter Kit plugin. Why? Obsidian doesn't have first-class support for note types, and it probably won't have for a long while. But note types do have value. You can use tags and properties, but there's no way to enforce a schema, make sure that the right properties, values or tags are present. Auto-completion is limited, etc. And all of that because there's no native understanding of "this is a book note" vs "this is a project note."
I published a thread discussing the need for types/schemas in Obsidian: https://x.com/dSebastien/status/1965664312586047781
And with this plugin, I intend to change the status quo. I want to add true note type support to Obsidian. And it will be part of future OSK versions (it probably won't be a free community plugin).
Knowii News
The Knowii Community keeps growing.
In July, I organized a Personal Organization 101 workshop. The response was great. People loved it. In August, I organized another workshop; this time about Journaling. It was a deep dive, exploring why journaling matters, discussing different techniques, analog vs digital, how to build a sustainable practice, etc. Most of the notes are available here: https://notes.dsebastien.net/30+Areas/33+Permanent+notes/33.02+Content/Knowii+Community+Event+-+Knowledge+Builders+-+2025-08-20+-+Journaling+Deep+Dive
Big thanks. Truly deep. Truly useful. You nailed why journaling works — Julien Dambron
Note that both workshops are available in my store. They're also included as bonuses with the Knowledge Worker Kit and with paid Knowii Community memberships.
Various PKM experts have joined the community already. So if you need expert advice, stop looking, and come join us: https://www.store.dsebastien.net/l/knowii
The community is becoming what I wanted: knowledge workers, creators, learners supporting each other and growing together.
I'm soon going to resume organizing workshops and live sessions.
Latest Articles
I've published two articles recently:
The Past, Present and Future of Knowledge Management (Article): How KM evolved. Where we are. Where we're going. AI, automation, integration. Read it here: https://www.dsebastien.net/the-past-present-and-future-of-knowledge-management
Stop Losing Your Best Ideas - The Journaling System That Changed My Life (Article): Everything I learned about journaling. Why it matters. How to do it. How to make it stick. Read it here: https://www.dsebastien.net/stop-losing-your-best-ideas-the-journaling-system-that-changed-my-life
Books
I've recently finished reading Flip Thinking (book) by Berthold Gunster. It was really good. The core idea: when you hit a problem, flip it into an opportunity. "I don't have time" → "How can I use the time I have differently?" "I can't afford this" → "How can I create value with what I have?".
It's not just about positive thinking. It's a systematic approach to reframing obstacles.
I highly recommend it if you're stuck in problem-focused thinking.
I'll share my notes on this one later this year.
Quotes of the Week
- The best system is one you'll actually use
- When you write a note, consider it as a draft forever. Never hesitate to update or remove existing notes
- The more notes and links you have in your knowledge base, the more possible paths you can create. The number of paths grows exponentially as you add more notes and links
- You don’t need to do more. You need to do what matters most, on your terms
Who Cares About Book Highlights?
When did you ever DO anything after highlighting something in a book? To me, active reading is not only about highlighting. It's about WRITING. Writing down ideas, thoughts, things that resonate, etc. Book highlights can only capture what's already there, not what sparks while you read.
It takes me AGES to digest books. Not because I'm slow. But because I'm INTEGRATING ideas into my own brain, my own work, my ongoing challenges, etc. And that would never happen just with book highlights. I'm leveraging neuroplasticity by paying careful attention and thinking deeply about the subject matter. Not just highlighting cool sentences.
As Julien, one of the Knowii Community members mentioned:
Highlights aren't for action. They're for memory. They're not for the reader. They're for the future thinker. Most ideas don't click right away. You read something at 22 and it sits. Then at 30 life changes and suddenly that line you highlighted years ago makes everything clear. Writing is deep work. But you can't write everything. Highlights are flags. They say: come back here later. Use them sparingly. One sentence per book might one day change your life. You just need to find it again when you're ready.
I agree with Julien, but to me, highlights only help capture a tiny tiny aspect of what matters when we read: the author's thinking, in their own words. It's valuable and sometimes inspiring, but it's too sterile.
When I read non-fiction books, I take notes all the time. I capture a few highlights, a few nuggets of wisdom as the author expressed those (quotes and key ideas), but most importantly I capture my own thinking, what it made me realize, ideas for things I should change or do, ...
I agree that some ideas don't click right away; some even take months or years to percolate. That's why I like re-reading some books. But when I do, my past highlights don't matter much. What matters a lot more is my ongoing mental state/problems/ideas at the time I read. That's why I like reading non-fiction books over multiple weeks or even months. It increases the odds of me realizing some things and connecting ideas.
Writing is the real catalyst. When we write down our thoughts, we're not just capturing ideas; we're actively engaging with them, molding them into something personal and actionable. It's about transforming the passive act of reading into an active dialogue with the text. Highlights might be a starting point, but they're not the destination — Julien Dambron
I wrote about this here:
Everyone Told Me This Reading Method Was Wrong. Now I Read 3X More Books and Never Get Bored (Article): https://www.dsebastien.net/everyone-told-me-this-reading-method-was-wrong-now-i-read-3x-more-books-and-never-get-bored
Meme of the Week
New & Interesting Links
Obsidian
- Crazy search speed improvements: https://obsidian.md/changelog/2025-08-25-desktop-v1.9.12/
- Obsidian Bases now available for everyone: https://obsidian.md/changelog/2025-08-18-desktop-v1.9.10/
- My notes about this feature: Obsidian Bases
- The age of Bases has arrived: https://medium.com/@lennart.dde/obsidian-v1-9-the-age-of-bases-has-arrived-and-my-vault-will-never-be-the-same-again-eca5e2cf42f8
- Getting started with Obsidian Bases: https://obsidian.rocks/getting-started-with-obsidian-bases
- Nick Milo's Obsidian Bases video series: https://x.com/NickMilo/status/1959662898701369398
- Upgrading Obsidian Bases with TaskNotes plugin: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SRavkMUYWzo
- French-speaking overview of Obsidian Bases: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K9VJNZbd8rM
- Interesting interviews of Steph Ango (the CEO of Obsidian)
- How Obsidian can embrace AI and stay true to its roots: https://tfthacker.com/article-ai-obsidian-integrating-ai
- Overview of the TaskNotes plugin for Obsidian by Sascha D. Kasper: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CsMf5Ix2k8k
- Nick Milo about PKM, note-taking, note-making & sense-making: https://open.spotify.com/episode/0ORDHJ9PtejMGB3WIcID5N
- Publishing your Obsidian notes with Astro (static site builder): https://bryanhogan.com/blog/obsidian-astro-submodule
- How to write a novel in Obsidian (templates, workflow & tools): https://pdworkman.com/write-book-with-obsidian
AI & PKM
- AI can now create Excel, Word, PowerPoint, and PDFs: https://www.linkedin.com/posts/claude_claude-can-now-create-and-edit-files-such-ugcPost-7371194328884453376-n3SL
- Claude 4.5 announcement: https://www.anthropic.com/news/claude-sonnet-4-5
- Using Claude Code as your second brain: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8V9tZwgjiRs
- How Noah Brier uses Claude Code as his second brain (with Obsidian): https://x.com/danshipper/status/1965792388040786151
- ChatGPT now has Project-only memory: https://help.openai.com/en/articles/6825453-chatgpt-release-notes?s=03#h_fb3ac52750
Knowledge Management
- How I Build the Ultimate Book Notes Library in Obsidian by Mike Schmitz: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P57Bg5yIkdA
- Best PKM for late 2025 discussion: https://www.reddit.com/r/PKMS/comments/1nkuswa/best_pkm_for_late_2025
- PKM apps need to get better at resurfacing information: https://ankursethi.com/blog/pkm-apps-need-to-get-better-at-resurfacing-information/
About the Author
Hey there! I'm Sébastien Dubois, Knowledge Management coach, author, and founder of DeveloPassion.
I'm on a mission to help you escape information overload, organize yourself, your work, and better leverage AI.
Find me at dsebastien.net | Follow me on X | Join me on Bluesky
Ready to level up?
If you're tired of information overwhelm and ready to build a reliable knowledge system:
🎯 Join Knowii - Get access to our complete knowledge transformation ecosystem: https://www.store.dsebastien.net/l/knowii
📚 Take the Course - Master Knowledge Management fundamentals: https://knowledge-management-for-beginners.com
🔥 Transform your Knowledge Management: https://obsidianstarterkit.com
🛒 Explore my products and courses: https://www.store.dsebastien.net
🎁 Grab Free Resources - Start with the Knowledge System Checklist: https://www.dsebastien.net/free-knowledge-management-system-checklist
💬 Get Personal Coaching - Work with me 1-on-1: https://store.dsebastien.net/l/pkm-coaching
Everything at https://dsebastien.net ✨
About Sébastien
I'm Sébastien Dubois, and I'm on a mission to help knowledge workers escape information overload. After 20+ years in IT and seeing too many brilliant minds drowning in digital chaos, I've decided to help people build systems that actually work. Through the Knowii Community, my courses, products & services and my Website, I share practical and battle-tested systems. You can follow me on X 🐦 and on BlueSky 🦋.
I am an author, founder, and coach. I write books and articles about Knowledge Work, Personal Knowledge Management, Note-taking, Lifelong Learning, Personal Organization, and Zen Productivity. I also craft lovely digital products.
If you want to follow my work, then become a member and join our community.
Ready to get to the next level?
If you're tired of information overwhelm and ready to build a reliable knowledge system:
- 🎯 Join Knowii and get access to my complete knowledge transformation system
- 📚 Take the Course and Master Knowledge Management
- 🚀 Start with a Rock-solid System: the Obsidian Starter Kit
- 🦉 Get Personal Coaching: Work with me 1-on-1
- 🛒 Check out my other products and services. These will give you a rock-solid starting point for your note-taking and Knowledge Management efforts
