Napkin review: a note app like our memory

Shu Omi
7 Jun 202206:30

TLDRNapkin is a minimalistic note app designed to act as a second brain, blending bookmark management with AI-powered note analysis for suggested connections. It offers a 'magic labeling' feature for effortless tagging, a stack system for linear writing akin to Scrivener's corkboard, and moments for note review through space repetition. The app simplifies the note-taking process, promoting atomic notes and serendipitous connections, enhancing creativity and organization.

Takeaways

  • 📔 Napkin is a minimalistic personal knowledge management app that combines features of bookmark managers, note apps, and writing tools.
  • 🧠 It utilizes AI and natural language processing to analyze notes and suggest connections, enhancing the user's ability to build a 'second brain'.
  • 🔍 The 'Magic Labeling' feature automatically suggests tags for notes based on content, simplifying the organization process.
  • 📝 Napkin encourages the use of 'atomic notes', which means one idea per note, to improve the reusability and combinability of ideas.
  • 🔄 The app includes a 'Stacks' feature for linear writing, allowing users to organize notes in a sequential order, similar to Scrivener's corkboard.
  • 🌐 A browser extension and iOS app called 'Napkin Collect' facilitate the saving of text to the user's knowledge base with automatic tagging.
  • 🔗 Napkin makes linking ideas easy and fun, potentially outperforming other note-taking apps in this aspect.
  • 🎨 The interface is simple, with a main window displaying all nodes and the ability to see related notes when clicking on a central note.
  • 📚 'Moments' feature offers three ways to review notes: space repetition algorithm, inbox for recent notes, and a folder for notes not seen in a while.
  • 🎓 The video reviewer, Shu, finds Napkin simple, fun to use, and a great writing tool, comparing it to the writing methods of Robert Greene and Ryan Holiday.
  • 🎁 Viewers can try Napkin with a promo code for one month free, and learn more about the 'Tarot Casting' note-taking method in another video by the reviewer.

Q & A

  • What is Napkin and how does it differ from other note-taking apps?

    -Napkin is a minimalistic personal knowledge management app that combines features of bookmark manager apps like My Mind, note apps like Roam and Obsidian, and writing apps like Scrivener. It uses AI and natural language processing to analyze notes and suggest connections, offering a balance between the chaos of our minds and the order of traditional note-taking.

  • How does Napkin's 'note to review' feature work?

    -Napkin's 'note to review' feature uses spaced repetition to resurface notes, increasing the chances of serendipitous connections and enhancing the user's memory retention.

  • What is the 'magic labeling' feature in Napkin and how does it help users?

    -The 'magic labeling' feature in Napkin analyzes the content of a note using natural language processing and suggests suitable tags based on the content. This helps users by reducing the time spent on deciding tags and improving the organization of notes.

  • Can you describe the 'stacks' feature in Napkin and its benefits?

    -The 'stacks' feature in Napkin allows users to organize notes in a linear order for writing. It is similar to Scrivener's corkboard, providing a planning tool for writers to create an outline and organize their writing materials.

  • How does the 'moments' feature in Napkin help with note review?

    -The 'moments' feature in Napkin offers three ways to review notes: pressing a tab to resurface notes using a spaced repetition algorithm, using the inbox to see recently created notes, and using the 'not seen a while' folder to review notes that haven't been looked at for some time.

  • What is the 'Napkin Collect' app and how does it integrate with the main Napkin app?

    -The 'Napkin Collect' app is a browser extension and iOS app that allows users to save text to their Napkin knowledge base. It integrates with the main app by using the magic labeling feature to automatically tag highlighted text, facilitating easy saving and connection-making.

  • How does Napkin encourage the use of 'atomic notes' and why is this beneficial?

    -Napkin encourages the use of 'atomic notes' by displaying only limited characters per note, similar to a tweet. This practice is beneficial as it promotes the deconstruction of big ideas into smaller components, enhancing the reusability and recombinability of notes.

  • What is the significance of the corkboard-like interface in Napkin's writing experience?

    -The corkboard-like interface in Napkin's writing experience allows users to organize their notes visually, making the writing process less intimidating and more structured. It is reminiscent of the planning tools used in writing apps like Scrivener.

  • How does the review process in Napkin enhance the user's writing and note-taking experience?

    -The review process in Napkin enhances the user's experience by ensuring that no notes are wasted or forgotten. It uses spaced repetition and various review methods to keep notes fresh and accessible, promoting a more efficient note-taking and writing process.

  • What is the connection between Napkin and the writing methods of Robert Greene and Ryan Holiday?

    -Napkin's features and approach to note-taking and writing are reminiscent of the methods used by Robert Greene and Ryan Holiday, who use index cards to collect and organize ideas for their books. Napkin might be considered a digital alternative to their index card system.

  • What promo code is offered for trying out Napkin and where can it be found?

    -The promo code 'streaming' is offered for trying out Napkin. It can be found in the description of the video and provides one month free for new users to test the app.

Outlines

00:00

📝 Introducing Napkin: The Minimalist Personal Knowledge Management App

The video script introduces 'Napkin,' a new minimalistic personal knowledge management application. It is described as a blend of bookmark manager 'My Mind' and note apps like 'Roam' and 'Obsidian.' Napkin employs AI and natural language processing to analyze notes and suggest connections between them. It features a note review function that uses spaced repetition to increase the serendipity of rediscovering notes. The app offers a 'corkboard' writing experience, allowing users to organize notes in a manner that balances the chaos of the mind with the order of paper. The script highlights the simplicity and power of Napkin, positioning it as an alternative for those who find other note-taking apps too complex. The video's creator, Shu, shares his first impressions of Napkin, emphasizing its user-friendly interface, the 'magic labeling' feature that suggests tags using natural language processing, and the app's browser extension and iOS app for easy note collection.

05:02

📚 Enhancing Writing with Napkin's Features and Organizational Tools

The second paragraph delves into the writing process facilitated by Napkin, starting with the best writing tip of creating a document by first writing a sentence, making an outline, and then filling in the skeleton. The script mentions 'Moments,' a feature that allows for easy note review through three methods: using the space repetition algorithm, checking the inbox for recent notes, and exploring the 'Not Seen a While' folder for older notes. This ensures no notes are overlooked or wasted. The video concludes with a comparison of Napkin to the index card writing method of authors Robert Greene and Ryan Holiday, suggesting Napkin as a digital equivalent. The viewer is encouraged to try Napkin with a promo code for a free month and to explore the 'Tarot Casting' note-taking method in another video by the creator.

Mindmap

Keywords

💡Napkin

Napkin is a minimalistic personal knowledge management app that serves as a digital alternative to traditional note-taking and bookmark management. In the video, it is described as a blend of different apps, offering a unique experience that combines the simplicity of note-taking with the power of AI for analyzing and suggesting connections between notes. It is positioned as a tool for building a 'second brain,' which is a concept of organizing one's thoughts and ideas in a structured yet flexible manner.

💡AI and Natural Language Processing

AI, or Artificial Intelligence, and Natural Language Processing (NLP) are technologies that enable computers to understand and process human language. In the context of the Napkin app, these technologies are used to analyze the content of the notes and suggest relevant connections between them. This feature is highlighted as a key selling point, as it helps users discover new insights and relationships within their notes.

💡Spaced Repetition

Spaced Repetition is a learning technique that involves revisiting information at increasing intervals over time to improve long-term retention. The video script mentions a 'note to review feature' in Napkin that uses spaced repetition to resurface notes, thereby increasing the chances of users retaining the information.

💡Corkboard

A corkboard is a tool traditionally used for organizing and planning by arranging notes or index cards on a board. In the video, the script refers to a 'Scrivener-like writing experience' where users can organize their notes in a corkboard-like interface, which helps in creating an outline and planning the structure of their writing.

💡Atomic Notes

Atomic Notes is a concept where each note contains only one idea, encouraging users to break down complex thoughts into smaller, more manageable pieces. The script mentions that Napkin encourages the use of atomic notes, which improves the 'recombinability' of notes, allowing for greater flexibility and creativity in writing.

💡Magic Labeling

Magic Labeling is a feature in the Napkin app that uses NLP to analyze the content of a note and suggest suitable tags, making the process of organizing and categorizing notes more efficient. The script describes this feature as particularly useful, as it reduces the effort required to manually tag notes and helps in uncovering connections between them.

💡Stacks

Stacks in the context of the Napkin app refers to a feature that allows users to organize their notes in a linear, ordered manner, similar to creating an outline or a sequence of ideas. The script describes how users can drag relevant notes into a stack to build a structured outline, which aids in the writing process.

💡Moments

Moments is a feature in Napkin that facilitates the review of notes. The script outlines three ways to review notes using Moments: pressing a tab to resurface notes using a spaced repetition algorithm, using the inbox to view recently created notes, and using the 'not seen a while' folder to revisit notes that have not been looked at for some time.

💡Napkin Collect

Napkin Collect is a browser extension and iOS app that complements the main Napkin app by allowing users to save text from the web directly into their knowledge base. The script describes how this tool can be used to highlight text and send it to Napkin, where it will be automatically tagged using the Magic Labeling feature.

💡Tarot Casting

Tarot Casting is a note-taking method mentioned in the video, which involves using index cards to collect and organize ideas. The script suggests that Napkin might be a digital equivalent to this method, providing a way to digitally mimic the process of gathering and arranging thoughts and ideas as one would with physical index cards.

Highlights

Napkin is a minimalistic personal knowledge management app.

It combines features of bookmark manager apps and note apps like Roam and Obsidian.

Utilizes AI and natural language processing to analyze and suggest connections in notes.

Features a note review system using spaced repetition to increase serendipity.

Provides a scrivener-like writing experience with a corkboard for note organization.

Balances the chaos of our minds with the order of traditional note-taking.

Napkin is simple, fun to use, and a powerful tool for building a second brain.

Encourages the use of 'atomic notes' for better idea deconstruction and reuse.

The 'Magic Labeling' feature uses AI to suggest tags for notes based on content.

Napkin makes reviewing and finding connections between notes easy and enjoyable.

Offers a browser extension and iOS app called 'Napkin Collect' for saving text.

Stacks feature allows for linear writing and organizing notes in a specific order.

Moments feature facilitates easy note review through spaced repetition algorithms.

Napkin can be a digital alternative to Robert Greene and Ryan Holiday's index card writing method.

Use promo code 'streaming' for one month free trial of Napkin.

Learn about the 'Tarot Casting' note-taking method in another video.