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How to build a second brain as a software developer

aseemthakar.com

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Re: How to build a second brain as a software developer

#91

Post by mcbishop »

safog wrote: post #3

Pretty graphs, but I wonder how it stands up to the tests of the real world. I've personally tried to use mind maps (a bit more general than solving technical problems) but gave up pretty quickly. I think part of the problem was the technology itself, mind map apps are mostly desktop only and the mobile experience navigating a 2D diagram is kind of clunky. The other part was just laziness, after building a mind map f…

The potential with mind maps seems so awesome. But, yeah, clunky implementations abound.

Re: How to build a second brain as a software developer

#92

Post by greymalik »

akouri wrote: post #81

I am constantly getting flummoxed by the PARA system. It ends up taking me more time trying to figure out the nuanced rules on where to put something (Projects/Areas and Areas/Resources are the most persnickety ones) that I often end up duplicating a concept and having two folders for it, one in each hierarchy. I'm still not sold on the PARA organizational method, but maybe there's something I'm missing.

Project: has defined goals and an end date (“be able to run 5k in 30 minutes by April 1”)

Area: an ongoing personal or professional responsibility (My Health)

Resource: impersonal knowledge that may be useful (couch to 5k training program)

Archive: any of the above that are no longer relevant to your life

Re: How to build a second brain as a software developer

#93

Post by foolinaround »

the author does not get deep into when/what to put into the 'second brain'.

Just like one does not go to the market unless it is not in the pantry, one should not replicate what google can get for you in a second.

So, then, what needs to be in the second brain is more of keywords and categories, so that we can make the google searches more effective for the particular question we have

P.S.: assuming we will always have google/some search engine.

Re: How to build a second brain as a software developer

#94

Post by jiggunjer »

chris_st wrote: post #46
judofyr wrote: post #11

I've tried to incorporate some of the ideas of the "second brain" and it didn't really give me that much. My lessons: 1. It's always super helpful to write things down. Taking notes from what I read/learn is a great way to verify that I understand it. It sharpens my thinking. 2. However, maintaining the "second brain" is a lot work. It's not only about "linking" together notes. You also need to maintain some consiste…

> I ended up spending a lot of time thinking about the structure instead of actually thinking about the content. This is why wikis, which I originally thought were just the best things ever, seem to become useless over time. The Mac application Quiver [1] introduced me to the idea of categories, which can contain one layer of sub-category, and either categories or sub-categories can contain articles, which contain te…

Wdym useless over time? You don't need to think about structuring a wiki.

Re: How to build a second brain as a software developer

#95

Post by snarf21 »

judofyr wrote: post #11

I've tried to incorporate some of the ideas of the "second brain" and it didn't really give me that much. My lessons: 1. It's always super helpful to write things down. Taking notes from what I read/learn is a great way to verify that I understand it. It sharpens my thinking. 2. However, maintaining the "second brain" is a lot work. It's not only about "linking" together notes. You also need to maintain some consiste…

I think the missing things for most people revisiting notes is they record the what but rarely the why. The why makes the what easy to back into but we tend to focus on the destination what too much. ymmv

Re: How to build a second brain as a software developer

#96

Post by smusamashah »

ssully wrote: post #70
judofyr wrote: post #11

I've tried to incorporate some of the ideas of the "second brain" and it didn't really give me that much. My lessons: 1. It's always super helpful to write things down. Taking notes from what I read/learn is a great way to verify that I understand it. It sharpens my thinking. 2. However, maintaining the "second brain" is a lot work. It's not only about "linking" together notes. You also need to maintain some consiste…

I started using OneNote this year. I create a weekly "Note" where I throw all my notes in during a week. This includes a weekly ToDo checklist, a note section per meeting, and then random thoughts, code/log snippits, or whatever else I need. It's not perfect, but it's the best solution I've found so far. I've tried every note taking method out there and I always fall off after a few months. I think this is working fo…

Most of note taking happens at work. I tried local plain text notes, then stuck with confluence for some time. Confluence is slow and resists a lot.

OneNote is what I have end up with for now. Every page in one note is like a whiteboard where you can put anything anywhere. I sometimes store screenshots of code snippets. Sometimes even full files. Use it for small temporary todo lists. OneNote is a great place for putting down random info as quickly as possible.

Not worrying about how and where to put your thoughts down is very very important. Thoughts get lost in the process otherwise.

Re: How to build a second brain as a software developer

#99

Post by O_H_E »

smusamashah wrote: post #96
ssully wrote: post #70

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I started using OneNote this year. I create a weekly "Note" where I throw all my notes in during a week. This includes a weekly ToDo checklist, a note section per meeting, and then random thoughts, code/log snippits, or whatever else I need. It's not perfect, but it's the best solution I've found so far. I've tried every note taking method out there and I always fall off after a few months. I think this is working fo…

Most of note taking happens at work. I tried local plain text notes, then stuck with confluence for some time. Confluence is slow and resists a lot. OneNote is what I have end up with for now . Every page in one note is like a whiteboard where you can put anything anywhere . I sometimes store screenshots of code snippets. Sometimes even full files. Use it for small temporary todo lists. OneNote is a great place for p…

> Not worrying about how and where to put your thoughts down is very very important. Thoughts get lost in the process otherwise.

Yes, strong agree

Re: How to build a second brain as a software developer

#100

Post by O_H_E »

jiggunjer wrote: post #97

I find I have an itch to create lists. Once I've made the list (knowing it's useless) it gets archived; the itch has been scratched and I go on with my day. Stuff like this isn't really a second brain. It's a stick for scratching.

+1 for a metaphor that made me laugh
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