How the CEO of Obsidian Takes his Notes (Underrated Genius)

Summary

The video walks through the note-taking system of Steph Ango, also known as Kepano, CEO of Obsidian. The narrator notes that the system may look disorganized at first, but its simplicity and interconnected notes can help reveal patterns in your thinking and support learning, writing, and reflection.

Core principles

• Files over apps: An Obsidian vault is a folder of Markdown files. Your notes remain accessible even if you stop using Obsidian.
• Keep the system simple: Avoid elaborate folder structures and excessive setup. A simple system is faster and reduces the time spent deciding where a note belongs.
• Organize with properties and links: Use metadata and connections to gather related notes rather than filing each note in a single category.
• Treat the system as adaptable: Ango’s approach is an example, not a rigid set of rules. Keep the parts that work for you.

Setting up and organizing the vault

• Download the vault template, unpack it, and open its folder in Obsidian.
• Store most personal notes—such as journals, essays, and evergreen notes—in the vault root, rather than in a dedicated notes folder.
• Use properties to describe notes. A meeting note, for example, might include a category, date, people, topics, and location. Properties can use different data types, such as text or numbers.
• Ango’s example vault includes category notes and folders for clarity. The tutorial demonstrates moving category notes into the root and finding them with Obsidian’s Quick Switcher instead of browsing folders.
• Use templates to quickly add common properties and structure. Ango’s system uses templates for many note types, reducing repetitive entry and making notes easier to find.
• The tutorial suggests shortcuts for creating a unique note, inserting a template, opening today’s daily note, and inserting an internal link.

Links and connections

• Create an internal link by typing [[ and choosing or entering a note name. A link can point to an existing note or create a connection to one that does not exist yet.
• Link the first mention of notable people, places, works, topics, or other ideas. The link can be useful even if you do not create a dedicated note about the subject right away.
• Use linked properties rather than plain text labels when possible, so you can navigate between related notes.
• Backlinks show which notes mention the current note, helping you retrace how an idea or event appeared in your writing.
• Templates may include tables or views that gather related notes, such as meetings associated with a person.

Note types and supporting folders

• References: Keep notes about things outside your personal experience—such as people, books, films, or podcasts—in a References folder. This separates reference material from personal notes and reflections.
• Ratings: A rating from 1 to 7 can indicate how consequential something was. A 7 means positively life-changing; a 1 means negatively life-changing. Ratings can apply to reference material or personal experiences.
• Composable templates: A note can use more than one template if it serves multiple purposes. For example, a person who is also an author could use both a People template and an Author template.
• Evergreen notes: Capture a reusable idea in its own note so it can be linked from other notes, revisited, and developed over time.
• Attachments: Store files such as images in an Attachments folder, configured in Obsidian’s file settings.
• Daily notes: Use daily notes as dated reference points for notes written on a particular day. Ango’s daily notes are described as mostly empty, with other notes linking to them.
• Clippings: Save articles and other web material in a Clippings folder, for example, using Obsidian’s Web Clipper.

Suggested note-taking rhythm

• Daily: Capture thoughts, insights, or journal entries in uniquely named notes. Use descriptive titles, templates, and links for the first mentions of relevant people, places, and ideas.
• Every few days: Review recent notes and combine useful thoughts into broader summaries or idea notes. This can help surface patterns or changes in your thinking.
• Weekly: Create a simple weekly note and record to-dos as Markdown checkboxes.
• Monthly: Review previous idea summaries and write a higher-level reflection on recurring themes and patterns.
• Every few months: Open a random note and explore its links to revisit older ideas and find new connections.
• Yearly: Review the monthly reflections and use the 40 questions referenced in Ango’s blog as prompts.

The narrator’s overall takeaway is that Ango’s minimal, flexible approach can be borrowed selectively. The goal is not to copy the vault exactly, but to build a practical system that suits your own way of thinking.

Speakers and sources featured

• Video narrator: Karlos, who presents the tutorial and demonstrates the vault.
• Steph Ango (Kepano): Creator of the note-taking approach discussed. His ideas are presented through his vault and blog; he does not speak directly in the subtitles.
• Obsidian: The software demonstrated in the tutorial.