DeveloPassion's Newsletter 202 - Knowii Voice AI

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 ✨

If you enjoy this, please forward it to your friends 👍. If this email was forwarded to you, then don't forget to subscribe and become a supporter. You can also follow me on X, Bluesky, and Mastodon.

Welcome 

Welcome to all the new readers ❤️

The past two months have been an intense sprint. Building. Shipping. Learning. Breaking things. Fixing them. And finally: launching something I've been thinking about for a long time.

First, some personal news: I've finally recovered from my injury after my latest semi-marathon. Nothing serious, but this kept me off running for many weeks. I'm back at it now, taking it slow. And it's TOUGH!

The end of the year is almost here. I'm preparing myself for my next yearly review. Yearly reviews are my most powerful ritual. I really don't want to miss those. Each year I ask myself: "What should the next version of myself look like?", "What are my next challenges?", "What path do I choose for myself, going forward?". And each time it has been life changing.

This process isn't optional for me. It's how I stay mindful and intentional about my life.

But today's edition isn't about retrospection. It's about creation. Over the past 8 weeks, I've been building something new. Something that changes how I work with AI, how I write, how I think.

Let me tell you about Knowii Voice AI.

This Week's Highlights 

• Launched Knowii Voice AI - a privacy-first voice-to-text app 🎉
• Got first customers with overwhelmingly positive feedback
• Started developing the Obsidian Starter Kit plugin
• Published three Knowii workshop videos on YouTube
• Knowii Community crossed 300 members
• Removed Knowii Community free tier - now starting at $4.99/month
• Subscribed to GitHub paid plan and Apple Developer Program
• Installed Omarchy on my laptop
• Built Adobe Premiere Chapters to YouTube converter tool
• Read multiple books including The Running Man (book) and Nobody’s Fool (book)

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 ❤️

And if you bought some of my products or courses? Then please leave a rating/review. It really helps a lot ❤️

Black Friday Sale 

30% off everything in my store this week!

Use the discount code BLACKFRIDAY2025 during checkout to get 30% off any of my products.

This includes:

• Knowii Community memberships (with tons of bonuses)
• Knowledge Worker Kit
• Obsidian Starter Kit
• Knowledge Management for Beginners course
• Personal Knowledge Management Coaching sessions
• Knowii Voice AI app
• And EVERYTHING else in my store

This offer is valid until November 29th. Don't miss it!

Subscribe to Sébastien Dubois on Gumroad

Organize your thoughts, life & work⚡

Gumroad

Knowii Community Memberships are my best offers. They combine access to multiple products and services, include future content, and are the best way to support my work.

Time to boost your Knowledge Work skills! ❤️

Knowii Affiliate Program 

I'm working on the Knowii Affiliate Program. You can already join and start earning (40% on every sale) by recommending my products and services. If you believe in what I'm building and want to help spread the word, this is a great way to do it.

You can find more information here:

Affiliate Program

A Partnership to Transform Lives Through Knowledge

Sébastien DuboisSebastien Dubois

Also, check out the dedicated Knowii space: https://www.knowii.net/c/affiliates

Knowii Voice AI: Type at the Speed of Thought 

I've been frustrated with typing for years.

Not because I'm slow. I type fast enough. But because typing creates friction between thought and action. Ideas arrive faster than fingers can move. The keyboard is the bottleneck.

When you're working with AI, this becomes even more obvious. You want to give detailed context. Explain your thinking. Provide examples. But typing all of that? Exhausting.

Voice dictation exists, but every solution I tried had problems:

• Cloud services that send your voice to someone else's servers
• Apps that only work in specific browsers or applications
• Subscriptions that cost $20-30/month forever
• Services with usage limits that you hit constantly
• Open source projects that try to please everyone and don't have good UI/UX

I wanted something different. Privacy-first. Works everywhere. Pay once, own forever. Uses state-of-the-art AI models.

I couldn't find it. So I built it.

What is Knowii Voice AI? 

Knowii Voice AI is a voice-to-text transcription application that runs entirely on your computer. Your voice never leaves your device (unless you choose to use cloud models).

Press Ctrl+Space (or any shortcut you configure). Speak naturally. Release. Your words appear exactly where your cursor is. In any application.

Gmail. Slack. Discord. VS Code. Your terminal. Obsidian. Word. Teams. Literally anywhere you can type.

The AI models run locally on your computer. No internet required after the initial model download. No subscriptions. No usage limits. Complete privacy.

You speak at 150 words per minute. You type at 40 words per minute. That's not a small difference. That's 3.75x faster.
If you write for 2 hours per day, you get back 88 minutes. That's 7.3 hours per week. 380 hours per year.

What would you do with an extra 380 hours?

The Journey 

Let me tell you how Knowii Voice AI came to be.

I started by doing research about Speech Recognition (ASR) AI models a few months back. More recently, I looked into cross-platform software development frameworks. I knew about Electron, but didn't want my app to be too heavy. I then stumbled upon Tauri and immediately fell in love. Rust on the back-end, anything you want on the front-end, support for Windows, macOS, Linux and iOS, tons of mature features. I spent the next two weeks learning as much as I could and started building.

While doing more research, I discovered Handy, an open-source voice-to-text project by CJ Pais. Solid foundation. Great concept. I saw potential and decided to fork it instead of building everything from scratch. Since that project used the MIT license, it was a great starting point.

I rebuilt everything from scratch. I completely overhauled the codebase. Refactored the architecture. Redesigned the entire user interface from scratch to be fully responsive, and added many features that don't exist in Handy. For example, I've added support for multiple AI models (e.g., Moonshine and Omnilingual), added Linux support for Hyprland, added various improvements to the history screen, and much more. I then wrote extensive documentation, prepared the sales copy, built a landing page and I launched it.

But week six hit hard. Someone opened an issue on GitHub: "This is a Handy.computer clone."
That hurt. They weren't wrong about the fork, but I never said that I started from scratch, and they missed the point. Knowii Voice AI started from Handy's codebase, yes. But it's not a dumb clone. It's something different that will take a very different path (it already has). I had already acknowledged the fork publicly and gave credit where it's due. But I also explained my vision for the future of the app and the roadmap I have in mind. I understand that commercial forks of open source apps have a bad reputation, but the incentives and goals are different. For the creator of Handy, Handy is a fun side-project. For me, Knowii Voice AI is a product I'm selling, that I'm providing support for, that I will keep working on for the foreseeable future, and that will evolve based on customer feedback.

Then my first customers started using it. The feedback was overwhelmingly positive. People got what I was building. And I'm building for them ❤️

Knowii Voice AI has its own roadmap. Its own vision. Its own community. Features that Handy will never have because our goals are different. With Knowii Voice AI, I want to build the best tool for Knowledge Workers and Knowledge Management enthusiasts who care about privacy and productivity. Different visions. Different paths. Both valid.

Soon, I'll start working on AI inference and integrations with tools such as Obsidian. That's where the fun will begin!

What You Get 

$49, once. Own it forever.

• Full Windows 10/11 support (available now)
• Linux and macOS support coming soon
• Various AI models (Whisper, Parakeet, Moonshine, Omnilingual)
• Complete transcription history with search, filter, edit, star, playback
• Works in every application
• Customizable shortcuts
• Voice Activity Detection
• Custom word replacements for common errors
• Auto-update system
• Lifetime updates and all future features
• 30-day money-back guarantee

I recently added support for Moonshine and Omnilingual models, as well as many more improvements that will be released soon.

My first customers gave me super positive feedback. That validation? Worth everything.

What's Next 

The roadmap is packed. Full Linux and macOS support. Smart AI-enabled post-processing workflows. Real-time transcription. Voice trigger words. File transcription. Voice commands. And much more.

Check out:

• Website: https://voice-ai.knowii.net
• Documentation: https://docs.voice-ai.knowii.net
• Roadmap: https://docs.voice-ai.knowii.net/roadmap
• Release Notes: https://docs.voice-ai.knowii.net/release-notes
• Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z3nnUCJRWhI

If you're tired of typing, if you want to work faster, if you care about privacy, this is for you.

Knowii Community News 

The Knowii Community keeps growing. We're now over 300 members. It's lovely to see our community grow ❤️.

I've made an important decision: removing the free tier. Memberships now start at $4.99/month.
Why? Sustainability. Running the community costs money. Servers. Tools. Time. I want to keep building it for years. That means it needs to be financially sustainable.

The paid tier brings value: exclusive workshops, direct access to PKM experts, private spaces, priority support. If you're serious about knowledge work, it's worth joining.

Knowii Knowledge System: Tools + Courses + Community

Transform Information Overload Into Clarity with a Complete Knowledge SystemAccess an All-in-One Solution: Community + Premium Courses + Professional ToolsInformation chaos is silently sabotaging your productivity, creativity, and peace of mind. You’re drowning in scattered notes, forgotten insights, and constant context switching, watching valuable ideas slip through the cracks daily.What if you could transform that chaos into your greatest advantage with a proven, ready-to-implement system?Knowii delivers everything you need in one integrated package: A supportive community of fellow knowledge masters Premium courses sharing hard earned wisdom, worth hundreds of dollars Professional knowledge tools and templates Implementation guidance and direct support This isn’t just a community. It’s a complete knowledge system.Join today, and get access to $150-$500 worth of bonuses, depending on the tier you subscribe to! 🤯Who is this for?The Knowii community brings together leaders, knowledge workers, content creators, and lifelong learners committed to breaking free from information overload to achieve both professional excellence and intentional living.The Knowii community is made up of real people facing everyday knowledge challenges: Knowledge workers trying to keep up with the evolution and real-world impact of AI Overwhelmed Professionals - People drowning in tabs, emails, and Slack messages who want to regain control of their information Career Builders - Individuals actively documenting their expertise to advance professionally and make better workplace decisions Career Changers - People learning new fields who need to organize and connect information across different domains Team Leaders & Managers - People juggling multiple responsibilities who need to track information and priorities, but also share knowledge across teams who struggle with documentation and information silos Executives & Decision-Makers - Professionals who need to quickly synthesize complex information from multiple sources to make confident, timely decisions under pressure Founders & Entrepreneurs - Business owners and startup creators juggling investor decks, customer feedback, market research, and product plans who need systems to keep it all organized and actionable Consultants and freelancers juggling multiple client projects who need to quickly recall specific details without digging through old emails Researchers & Students - People who highlight books, take course notes, and need to turn that raw material into lasting knowledge Subject matter experts who struggle to organize years of accumulated knowledge in a way they can actually share with others Content Creators - Bloggers, newsletter writers, and course builders who need reliable systems to produce consistent, quality content, without burning out Growth-Oriented Minds - People committed to continuous improvement and development Knowledge Seekers - From curious beginners to seasoned experts committed to lifelong learning Systematic Thinkers - People who value structured approaches to organizing information and ideas Intentional Professionals - Leaders, knowledge workers, and creators building purposeful systems Clarity Enthusiasts - Those seeking to break free from information overload and mental clutter Balance Seekers - Individuals balancing personal and professional lives who need efficient systems that don’t consume all their time Note-Takers & Organizers - From beginners with messy desktop folders to Obsidian power users with thousands of linked notes Tool Explorers - Folks who’ve tried Notion, Roam, Obsidian, and more, seeking practical advice on what actually works Practical Implementers - Those who transform theory into actionable systems and workflows Generous Contributors - Community members who share insights, resources, and experiences Anyone who’s ever thought “I know I saved that somewhere...” while frantically searching We’re not productivity gurus with perfect systems. We’re regular people who care about taming information overload, building solid systems and sharing what works.Why Knowii Exists 41% of knowledge workers feel overwhelmed by information daily The average professional experiences 23 context switches each day 60% of valuable ideas are lost due to poor knowledge management Most people spend more time searching for information than actually using it You can learn more about Knowii here: https://www.dsebastien.net/communityChoose Your Transformation PathExplorerYour entry point to breaking free from information chaos with access to foundational resources, general discussions, and a supportive community of fellow knowledge workers.You get: Access to general discussions Knowledge Management guidance and tutorials Curated content Limited resource library access Introductory templates Community help for common problems Free bonuses Beginner’s Guide to Obsidian Database of Knowledge Management tools Knowledge Management System Checklist It’s enough to start fixing your information overload without a big commitment.Knowledge Builder: Integrated Knowledge System FoundationFor those ready to build reliable knowledge systems that stickEverything from Explorer, plus: Premium Community Resources: Access to live events and video recordings (i.e., masterclasses, workshops, Q&As, knowledge-sharing sessions, live streams, etc), templates, workflows, guides, private community spaces, etc Tools & Courses Package: Immediate access to the Obsidian Starter Kit and Obsidian Starter Course, a comprehensive foundation for your knowledge system Direct Access to Experts: Access to multiple Knowledge experts Monthly Community Challenges: Structured activities to build your knowledge management skills Access to DeveloPassion’s Newsletter Archives (~200+ editions) Early Access: Be first to try new community features and content Total Value: $150+ in premium tools & courses included with your membership!Perfect for: Professionals serious about developing systematic knowledge management practices to transform their work and lifeKnowledge Master: The Ultimate Knowledge SystemFor those committed to complete knowledge transformation with our most comprehensive package.All-inclusive access for maximum results with minimum friction.EVERYTHING in Knowledge Builder, PLUS: FULL Community Access: Exclusive events (e.g., AMAs, group coaching sessions, mastermind sessions, etc) and community spaces Complete Course Library: Knowledge Management for Beginners, Obsidian Starter Course, and all future courses ALL Knowledge Tools: Knowledge Worker Kit, Obsidian Starter Kit, Personal Knowledge Management Library, AI Ghostwriter Guide, and all future tools Implementation Support: Direct guidance and quarterly check-ins to ensure your system succeeds Experimental Content: Early access to cutting-edge PKM methods and integrations And more to come! Total value of the included bonuses: ~$500.These aren’t separate products. They’re components of one cohesive system designed to work together seamlessly. The courses teach you the frameworks, the tools provide the implementation, and the community supports your ongoing mastery.Perfect for: Serious professionals and content creators who want complete transformation of their knowledge workflows and maximum clarity in work and lifeYour Complete System Journey: How Everything Works Together1. Break Free From Information ChaosDiscover proven systems to capture, organize, and leverage what truly matters, eliminating mental clutter.2. Build Your Knowledge Command CenterCreate your personal knowledge ecosystem with the right tools and workflows that evolve with your needs.3. Transform Information Into InsightsMaster techniques to connect ideas, generate insights, and unlock creativity that would otherwise remain hidden.4. Apply Systems to Real-World ChallengesImplement your knowledge framework to professional scenarios, making better decisions and advancing your career.5. Achieve Zen ProductivityIntegrate knowledge management into a holistic approach prioritizing clarity, focus, and mental wellbeing.6. Create Content With ConfidenceBuild reliable systems to transform your knowledge into valuable content consistently and efficiently.Before Knowii... “I had 2,000+ bookmarks across 3 browsers and couldn’t find anything” “My notes were scattered across Evernote, Apple Notes, and dozens of paper notebooks” “I’d read great books but couldn’t remember or apply their key insights” After implementing the complete Knowii system: “I now have one central knowledge hub where everything is connected and accessible” “The Obsidian Starter Kit gave me a ready-made structure that I could actually use on day one” “The courses taught me how to implement the system, while the community helped me troubleshoot” Past events & recordingsYou can find the list of past events (i.e., masterclasses, workshops, Q&As, knowledge-sharing sessions, live streams, etc) over here: Knowii Community Events.Knowledge Builders and Knowledge Masters have access access to the video recordings 🤩.Created by Sébastien DuboisKnowii is led by Sébastien Dubois, Knowledge Management expert, coach and author dedicated to helping professionals break free from information overload. With years of experience building systems that turn overwhelming information into clear insights and confident decisions, Sébastien has helped hundreds transform their relationship with knowledge.Testimonials”You’ve given me a lot of inspiration in how to actually do that as well simply through everything that you’ve built! Happy that I found your work and came across this community - such a gold mine 🙏” — SofiaFrequently Asked Questions (FAQ)How is Knowii different from other online communities?Knowii isn’t just a discussion forum—it’s a structured transformation system. Each space is designed to build on the others, creating a comprehensive journey from information chaos to intentional clarity.I’m already overwhelmed. Will joining another platform help or just add more noise?Great question! Unlike most platforms that add to your digital noise, Knowii is specifically designed to reduce overwhelm by giving you systems to organize all your existing information sources. Sébastien has helped hundreds feel less overwhelmed through Knowledge Management coaching, systems and guides.Can I change tiers or cancel if needed?Absolutely. You can upgrade, downgrade, or cancel at any time. For annual plans, you’ll maintain access until the end of your billing period.What if I’m not sure which tier is right for me?Start with the Explorer tier or the Knowledge Builder tier. You can always upgrade if you find value in the community.Do I really get immediate access to all the courses and tools mentioned?Yes! Unlike most communities that charge separately for courses and tools, your Knowii membership (especially Knowledge Master tier) includes immediate access to everything listed. No additional purchases required.How do the courses and tools integrate with the community?The entire system is designed to work together. You’ll learn concepts in the courses, implement them using the tools and templates, and get support and inspiration from the community—creating a complete knowledge transformation pipeline.If I’m already using Obsidian (or another tool), will these resources still help me?Absolutely! The courses and tools are designed to enhance whatever system you’re currently using. Whether you’re just starting or already have thousands of notes, the Knowii system will help you organize and leverage them more effectively.Ready to Transform Mental Chaos Into Clarity?The difference between feeling overwhelmed and feeling in control isn’t about having less information—it’s about having a proven, integrated system.Knowii doesn’t just talk about better systems—it gives you the entire package: The community that supports you The courses that teach you The tools that implement it All in one comprehensive, ready-to-use solution.

Gumroad

New Workshops 

I published three workshop videos on YouTube recently:

Obsidian Workshop

Deep dive into Obsidian and the Obsidian Starter Kit v3. Everything you need to get started.
Full notes: Knowii Community Event - Knowledge Builders - 2025-10-28 - Obsidian and OSK v3

Knowledge Management 101

Foundations of knowledge management. Why it matters. How to get started. What systems to build.
Full notes: Knowii Community Event - Knowledge Builders - 2025-07-23 - Knowledge Management 101

OSK v3 Deep Dive Workshop

Comprehensive exploration of every system in OSK v3. Actions. Health. Content. Maps. Creations.
Full notes: Knowii Community Event - Knowledge Builders - 2025-11-18 - OSK v3 Deep Dive Workshop

More workshops are planned for Obsidian, AI, and many other topics. Join the community to participate live.

Join us: https://store.dsebastien.net/l/knowii

The Lab 🧪 

Beyond Knowii Voice AI, I've been building and experimenting with various things.

Also, since I started working on Knowii Voice AI, I've focused a lot of my energy on building, and much less on writing. And it's frustrating to me, because I have so much to write about. The backlog keeps growing. I'll get back to writing very soon. I'm also preparing new Knowii Community workshops, live streams and deep dive sessions.

Obsidian Starter Kit Plugin 

I started building an Obsidian Starter Kit plugin. It will be included in future versions of the kit and will add first-class support for note types and strongly typed note properties.

Obsidian doesn't have native support for note types. You can use tags and properties, but there's no way to enforce a schema, ensure properties are correct, or validate values. No auto-completion beyond basic metadata. All because there's no native understanding of "this is a book note" vs "this is a project note."

The OSK plugin will change that. It will replace plugins like Metadata Menu plugin for Obsidian and Auto note mover plugin for Obsidian. Over time, I expect it to replace more plugins, making the whole system more cohesive and powerful.

I published a thread about it here: https://x.com/dSebastien/status/1978746095854563497. I also discussed it in the Knowii Community.

OSK Landing Page Refresh 

I also refreshed the Obsidian Starter Kit landing page at https://obsidianstarterkit.com. Cleaner design. Better messaging. More focused.

Infrastructure Investments 

I subscribed to a paid GitHub plan to build Knowii Voice AI releases for multiple operating systems (Windows, macOS, Linux). I also joined the Apple Developer Program ($99/year). These are financial risks I'm willing to take for that project. Building across platforms isn't cheap. But it's worth it.

Adobe Premiere Chapters to YouTube 

I built a small tool for myself: convert Adobe Premiere chapters to YouTube format.

It started as a simple Node script: https://github.com/dsebastien/adobe-premiere-chapters-to-youtube
Then I built a web version: https://github.com/dsebastien/adobe-premiere-chapters-to-youtube-web
Published it at: https://adobe-premiere-markers-to-youtube.tools.dsebastien.net

Tiny tool. Solves a specific problem. Shared it in case others need it.

Omarchy 

I installed Omarchy on my laptop. Omarchy is an Arch Linux-based distribution focused on productivity with Wayland and Hyprland.

It took me a while to get used to Wayland/Hyprland, but I love the productivity boost. No more managing windows manually. No more dragging things around. Tiling window management just works.

Quotes of the Week 

• A PKM system is one you can actually trust with important memories, ideas, insights, information, knowledge, and wisdom
• A second brain is a digital archive of your most valuable memories, ideas, and knowledge to help you do your job, run your business, and manage your life without having to keep every detail in your head
• A goal is not always meant to be reached. It often serves simply as something to aim at
• If you want to make the wrong decision, ask everyone — Naval Ravikant
• Set your goals high, and do stop from time to time to enjoy the journey and appreciate your progress. But never lose sight of the end goal

Books 

Right now I'm focusing on the the following books:

• The Running Man (book) by Richard Bachman (Stephen King)
• Nobody’s Fool (book) by Harlan Coben
• Antifragile (book) by Nassim Nicholas Taleb (re-reading)

In addition to many others that are on the back burner: Purple Cow (book), How We Learn (book), Generative AI in Action (book), Generative Deep Learning (book), Sapiens (book), Build a Better Brain (book), Man's Search For Meaning (book), ...

I also finished reading various fiction books in the last couple of months:

• Le Voyageur imprudent (book) by René Barjavel
• Desperation (book) by Stephen King
• Everything's Eventual (book) by Stephen King
• You Like It Darker (book) by Stephen King
• Elevation (book) by Stephen King
• The Innocent (book) by Harlan Coben
• Found (book) by Harlan Coben
• Shelter (book) by Harlan Coben
• Seconds Away (book) by Harlan Coben
• The Street Lawyer (book) by John Grisham
• Odd Thomas (book) by Dean Koontz
• The Good Guy (book) by Dean Koontz
• Flyover (book) by Douglas Kennedy
• Bram Stoker's Dracula (book) by Bram Stoker
• Blind Spot (book) by Paula Hawkins
• The Anomaly (book) by Hervé le Tellier
• J'aurais aimé te tuer (book) by Pétronille Rostagnat
• Demain j'arrête ! (book) by Gilles Legardinier

New & Interesting Links 

Obsidian

• Maps in Obsidian Bases: Maps plugin for Obsidian
  • I wrote a little tutorial based on this: How to capture GPS coordinates, import and display those in Obsidian
  • Related article: https://medium.com/obsidian-observer/maps-in-obsidian-the-new-potential-of-bases-93125b575b36
• Beginner's guide to Bases: https://medium.com/@lennart.dde/a-beginners-guide-to-bases-in-obsidian-your-data-your-way-773a72dc00db
• Obsidian changelog (v1.10.1):
  • https://obsidian.md/changelog/2025-10-21-desktop-v1.10.1
  • https://obsidian.md/changelog/2025-10-21-mobile-v1.10.1
• Obsidian Importer now lets you generate Markdown files from a CSV: https://x.com/obsdmd/status/1988704189829243336
• Demo of the Notebook Navigator plugin for Obsidian (included in Obsidian Starter Kit v3): https://www.youtube.com/watch?app=desktop&v=0lXbEHKDLp8
• CustomGPT that creates Obsidian-friendly notes from any text: https://chatgpt.com/g/g-6887932a58dc81919c58c3f763224f4c-obsidian-notes
• Tip to import your Kindle library into Obsidian and get it organized with Bases using Claude Code: https://x.com/aref_vc/status/1974077964590723576
• How to use Claude as a second brain: https://every.to/podcast/how-to-use-claude-code-as-a-thinking-partner?s=03

PKM / Thinking / Learning

• Sketch Your Mind Conference
  • Recordings: https://app.events.ringcentral.com/events/sketch-your-mind-conference/replay
  • Visualization: https://link.excalidraw.com/readonly/eTwaLHae7kbyIpXKkS3d?s=03
• PKM Weekly: https://www.pkmweekly.com/p/pkm-weekly-2025-11-01
• Be careful with Obsidian: https://phong.bearblog.dev/be-careful-with-obsidian
  • HN discussion: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=45678941
• An important reminder that you need proper backups: https://www.reddit.com/r/ObsidianMD/comments/1oxxzp4/comment/np3uhzy
  • My recommendations:
    • You NEED proper backups if you're serious about your knowledge base
    • Don't consider syncing as creating backups
    • Don't consider RAID as backup
    • Create actual backups
    • Create multiple backups (ideally)
    • Automate the creation of your backups
    • Store backups in different locations (locally and remotely)
    • Test your backups regularly
    • Consider app folders as danger zones that are totally unstable
  • I wrote about this here for Obsidian: How I synchronize and backup my Obsidian notes & https://www.dsebastien.net/how-i-synchronize-and-backup-my-obsidian-notes
• PKM apps need better resurfacing: https://ankursethi.com/blog/pkm-apps-need-to-get-better-at-resurfacing-information/
• 10 Years of building a second brain: https://blog.venturemagazine.net/i-spent-10-years-building-a-second-brain-e1eb82a402c2
• Best PKM for late 2025: https://www.reddit.com/r/PKMS/comments/1nkuswa/best_pkm_for_late_2025
• An updated version of the Konik Method of Eleanor Konik: https://open.substack.com/pub/eleanorkonik/p/the-konik-method-for-organizing-electronic
• Interview with Mem.ai creator: https://open.spotify.com/episode/76k1C1DbNjUj7NtSbq5uZV
• Awesome digital gardens
  • https://github.com/kyrose/awesome-digital-gardens
  • https://github.com/lyz-code/best-of-digital-gardens
  • https://github.com/MaggieAppleton/digital-gardeners

AI

• Demis Hassabis on the future of Knowledge: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TgS0nFeYul8
• Local LLMs security paradox: https://quesma.com/blog/local-llms-security-paradox
• Gemini 3: https://blog.google/products/gemini/gemini-3
• Nano Banana Pro: https://blog.google/technology/ai/nano-banana-pro
• Claude Opus 4.5: https://www.anthropic.com/news/claude-opus-4-5
• Claude 4.5
  • https://thenewstack.io/anthropic-launches-claude-sonnet-4-5
  • https://simonwillison.net/2025/Sep/29/claude-sonnet-4-5
  • https://marketplace.visualstudio.com/items?itemName=anthropic.claude-code
• Cool video about the fact that Claude Code can be used as a general-purpose agent: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MsQACpcuTkU
• Claude Code Interpreter: https://simonwillison.net/2025/Sep/9/claude-code-interpreter
• Claude can create Office files: https://www.linkedin.com/posts/claude_claude-can-now-create-and-edit-files-such-ugcPost-7371194328884453376-n3SL
• Claude Code learning path: https://medium.com/@dan.avila7/claude-code-learning-path-a-practical-guide-to-getting-started-fcc601550476
• Prompting is managing: https://contraptions.venkateshrao.com/p/prompting-is-managing
• Your Brain on ChatGPT: Accumulation of Cognitive Debt when Using an AI Assistant for Essay Writing Task: https://arxiv.org/pdf/2506.08872v1
• Free your LLMs: https://github.com/p-e-w/heretic
• Create storybooks with Gemini: https://blog.google/products/gemini/storybooks
• OpenAI Prompt Packs: https://academy.openai.com/public/tags/prompt-packs-6849a0f98c613939acef841c
• System prompts of AI models: https://github.com/x1xhlol/system-prompts-and-models-of-ai-tools
• ChatGPT project-only memory: https://help.openai.com/en/articles/6825453-chatgpt-release-notes#h_fb3ac52750
• Open source clone of NotebookLM: https://github.com/lfnovo/open-notebook
• Scary that shared Grok conversations can be found via search engines: site:https://grok.com/share wtf

Bootstrapping

• Black Friday deals repo: https://github.com/trungdq88/Awesome-Black-Friday-Cyber-Monday
• Changing the world: https://opuslabs.substack.com/p/how-to-flip-bits-in-the-world
• VPS servers cost near to nothing now: https://www.ovhcloud.com/en-gb/vps/?s=03

Little Things I've Published Recently

• Obsidian Starter Kit thread: https://x.com/dSebastien/status/1975937884307038317
• Thread about mental leakage: https://x.com/dSebastien/status/1988935953130652016
• How to download a single element in Canvas
• How to create an Apple Distribution Certificate CSR on Windows

That's it for today! ✨

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