Napkin review: a note app like our memory

Shu Omi
7 Jun 202206:30

TLDRNapkin is an innovative note app designed to mimic our memory, blending bookmark management with note-taking and AI-powered natural language processing for suggesting connections. It offers a unique note review feature using spaced repetition and a Scrivener-like corkboard for organizing notes, striking a balance between mental chaos and structured order. The app simplifies the note-taking process with its 'atomic note' concept, promoting the breakdown of complex ideas into reusable components. Features like magic labeling, a browser extension for easy note collection, and the 'stacks' for linear writing enhance the user experience, making Napkin a powerful tool for building a second brain.

Takeaways

  • 📔 Napkin is a minimalistic personal knowledge management app that combines elements of bookmark managers and note-taking apps.
  • 🧠 It utilizes AI and natural language processing to analyze notes and suggest connections between them.
  • 🔍 The app features a 'note to review' functionality that uses spaced repetition to increase serendipity in note discovery.
  • 🎨 Napkin offers a scrivener-like writing experience with a corkboard interface for organizing notes.
  • 🌐 It provides a balance between the chaotic organization of thoughts and the structured organization of paper notes.
  • 🔑 The interface is simple, displaying nodes that, when clicked, show related notes and events.
  • 📝 Napkin encourages the use of 'atomic notes', which contain only one idea per note to improve recombinability.
  • 🏷️ 'Magic labeling' is a feature that uses NLP to suggest tags for notes, simplifying the process of categorization.
  • 🔗 The app excels at making linking ideas easy and fun, potentially showing surprising connections between notes.
  • 📚 'Stacks' allow for linear writing by organizing notes in a specific order, similar to planning with index cards.
  • 🔄 'Moments' is a feature for reviewing notes, offering three methods: spaced repetition, recent notes, and notes not seen for a while.
  • 🎁 The video offers a promo code for a one-month free trial of Napkin to encourage viewers to try the app.

Q & A

  • What is Napkin and how does it compare to 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 and suggest connections between notes, offering a balance between the chaos of our minds and the order of traditional note-taking.

  • What is the main interface of Napkin like?

    -The main interface of Napkin is simple, featuring a main window that displays all nodes. When a node is clicked, it shows the note along with potentially relevant connected notes, encouraging the discovery of new connections.

  • How does Napkin encourage the use of small or atomic notes?

    -Napkin encourages the use of small or atomic notes by displaying only a limited number of characters per note, similar to a tweet. This approach promotes breaking down big ideas into smaller components, enhancing the reusability and recombinability of notes.

  • What is the 'Magic Labeling' feature in Napkin and how does it work?

    -Magic Labeling is a feature in Napkin that uses natural language processing to analyze the content of a note and suggest suitable tags based on the content. This helps users quickly categorize their notes without spending much time on deciding tags.

  • Can you describe the browser extension and iOS app 'Napkin Collect'?

    -Napkin Collect is a browser extension and iOS app that allows users to save text to their knowledge base in Napkin. Users can highlight a sentence and send it to Napkin, where the app automatically assigns relevant tags to the highlighted text.

  • What is the 'Stacks' feature in Napkin and how does it aid in writing?

    -Stacks is a feature in Napkin that allows users to organize notes in a linear order for writing. Users can create a new stack, find relevant notes using tags, and drag them into the stack to create an outline, similar to the corkboard in Scrivener.

  • What are the three ways to review notes in Napkin?

    -There are three ways to review notes in Napkin: pressing the tab key to resurface notes using a space repetition algorithm, using the 'Inbox' to view recently created notes, and using the 'Not Seen a While' folder to see notes that haven't been viewed recently.

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

    -The 'Moments' feature in Napkin helps with note review by providing an easy way to revisit notes. It includes the tab key for space repetition, the 'Inbox' for recent notes, and the 'Not Seen a While' folder for notes that haven't been viewed in some time.

  • What is the significance of the 'atomic note' concept in Napkin?

    -The 'atomic note' concept in Napkin signifies the idea of having only one idea per note. This encourages users to deconstruct complex ideas into simpler, more manageable components, which can then be easily reused in different contexts.

  • How does Napkin's approach to note-taking compare to the writing method of Robert Greene and Ryan Holiday?

    -Napkin's approach to note-taking is similar to the method used by Robert Greene and Ryan Holiday, where they use index cards to collect ideas and organize them into an outline for their books. Napkin can be considered a digital alternative to this method, providing a structured yet flexible way to organize thoughts and ideas.

  • What is the promo code mentioned in the script and what does it offer?

    -The promo code mentioned in the script is 'streaming'. Using this code offers one month of free access to Napkin for new users to try out the app and see if it suits their needs.

Outlines

00:00

📝 First Impressions of Napkin: A Minimalistic Knowledge Management App

The video introduces 'Napkin,' a new minimalistic personal knowledge management application that combines features of bookmark manager apps like 'My Mind' and note-taking apps such as 'Roam' and 'Obsidian.' It uses AI and natural language processing to analyze and suggest connections between notes. The app also offers a note review feature based on the spaced repetition technique to increase serendipity. Napkin provides a scrivener-like writing experience with a corkboard interface for organizing notes, striking a balance between the chaotic and orderly aspects of thought. The video's creator, Shu, shares a positive first impression after using the app for several weeks, highlighting its simplicity, fun, and effectiveness as a writing tool for building a 'second brain.' The interface is straightforward, with a main window for viewing nodes and a feature that displays potentially relevant notes to encourage new connections. The app promotes the creation of 'atomic notes,' which contain only one idea per note to enhance reusability and recombinability.

05:02

🔖 Exploring Napkin's Features: Magic Labeling, Stacks, and Review Methods

This paragraph delves deeper into Napkin's standout features, starting with 'magic labeling,' which uses natural language processing to suggest tags for notes, saving users time and effort. Shu finds this feature particularly useful for discovering surprising connections between notes. The paragraph also discusses the app's browser extension and iOS app, 'Napkin Collect,' which simplifies the process of saving text to the knowledge base with automatic tagging. Another highlighted feature is 'Stacks,' which allows for linear writing by organizing notes in a specific order, reminiscent of Scrivener's corkboard for planning and outlining. Shu mentions 'Moments,' a feature that facilitates note review through three methods: using the space repetition algorithm, the 'Inbox' for recent notes, and the 'Not Seen A While' folder for revisiting older notes. The video concludes with Shu's recommendation of Napkin as a digital alternative to Robert Greene and Ryan Holiday's index card writing method, and offers a promo code for a free trial.

Mindmap

Keywords

💡Minimalistic

Minimalism in the context of the video refers to a design approach that emphasizes simplicity and functionality. The app 'Napkin' is described as minimalistic, suggesting that it has a clean and uncluttered interface, focusing on the essential features to provide a user-friendly experience without unnecessary distractions. This is evident when the reviewer mentions that Napkin is 'simple and fun to use,' highlighting the app's straightforwardness and ease of use.

💡Knowledge Management

Knowledge management is the process of creating, sharing, using, and managing the knowledge and information of an individual or an organization. In the video, the app 'Napkin' is described as a personal knowledge management tool, indicating that it helps users organize and structure their thoughts, ideas, and information. The reviewer compares it to other note-taking and bookmark manager apps, emphasizing its role in managing personal knowledge effectively.

💡AI and Natural Language Processing

Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Natural Language Processing (NLP) are technologies that enable computers to understand, interpret, and generate human language in a way that is both meaningful and useful. The video mentions that 'Napkin' uses AI and NLP to analyze notes and suggest connections between them. This feature is crucial for the app's functionality, as it helps users discover new insights and relationships within their notes, enhancing the overall knowledge management experience.

💡Spaced Repetition

Spaced repetition is a learning technique that involves reviewing information at increasing intervals over time, which is proven to improve long-term memory retention. In the video, the reviewer talks about 'Napkin's' note review feature that uses spaced repetition to resurface notes, increasing the chances of remembering the content. This feature is beneficial for users who want to reinforce their memory of the information they've noted down.

💡Serendipity

Serendipity refers to the occurrence of events by chance in a happy or beneficial way. In the context of the video, the reviewer mentions that 'Napkin' increases serendipity by surfacing potentially relevant notes when users click on a central note. This feature encourages users to explore unexpected connections and discover new ideas, enhancing the creative and intellectual value of the app.

💡Corkboard

A corkboard is a tool used for organizing and planning, often by arranging notes, cards, or other items in a visual and tactile manner. The video compares 'Napkin's' note organization to a corkboard, where users can drag and drop notes into a 'stack' to create an outline or a structured plan. This feature is likened to the planning tool in 'Scrivener,' suggesting that 'Napkin' provides a similar level of organization and planning capability for writers and thinkers.

💡Atomic Note

An atomic note, as mentioned in the video, is a small, concise note that contains only one idea. The reviewer appreciates 'Napkin's' encouragement to take atomic notes, as it helps in breaking down complex ideas into smaller, manageable components. This approach not only makes it easier to understand and process information but also increases the reusability of notes, similar to how LEGO blocks can be broken down and recombined in different ways.

💡Magic Labeling

Magic labeling in 'Napkin' refers to the app's ability to automatically suggest tags for notes based on their content using natural language processing. This feature is highlighted in the video as a time-saving tool that reduces the effort required to manually tag notes, making the organization process more efficient. It also aids in discovering relevant notes within the user's knowledge base, contributing to a more connected and organized note-taking experience.

💡Browser Extension

A browser extension is a software add-on that extends the functionality of a web browser. The video mentions 'Napkin Collect,' a browser extension that allows users to save text from the web directly to their 'Napkin' knowledge base. This feature is showcased as a convenient way to capture information from various online sources, streamlining the process of building a personal knowledge repository.

💡Stacks

In 'Napkin,' stacks are a feature that allows users to organize notes in a linear and有序的方式, similar to creating an outline or a sequence of ideas. The video describes how users can drag relevant notes into a stack to build a structured narrative or plan. This feature is compared to the corkboard in 'Scrivener,' indicating that 'Napkin' offers a similar level of organization and planning for writing and thinking processes.

💡Moments

Moments in 'Napkin' is a feature that facilitates the review of notes, ensuring that users revisit and engage with their content regularly. The video explains three ways to review notes: using the space repetition algorithm, checking the 'inbox' for recent notes, and viewing the 'not seen a while' folder for older notes. This feature is praised for preventing notes from being forgotten or overlooked, thus maintaining an active and dynamic knowledge base.

Highlights

Napkin is a minimalistic personal knowledge management app.

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

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

Napkin has a note review feature using spaced repetition to increase serendipity.

Scrivener-like writing experience with an organization feature similar to a corkboard.

Balances between the chaos of our minds and the order of paper.

Napkin's interface encourages small or atomic notes for better recombinability.

Magic labeling feature suggests tags based on the content of the note.

Browser extension and iOS app, Napkin Collect, for saving text with automatic tagging.

Stacks feature for linear writing and organizing notes in an outline.

Moments feature for reviewing notes using spaced repetition algorithms.

Inbox and 'Not Seen a While' folder for easy note review.

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

Promo code 'streaming' for one month free trial.

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

For more on note-taking methods, check out the video on tarot casting.

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