A few months ago, I came across a YouTube video by NetworkChuck. And In his usual fun and technical way, he introduced the concept of building a “second brain.” He mentioned he got the idea from a book titled “Building a Second Brain: A Proven Method to Organize Your Digital Life and Unlock Your Creative Potential” by Tiago Forte.
This was the first time I’d ever heard the term “second brain.” But the way NetworkChuck talked about it, it seemed like something a lot of people already knew about—something that was common knowledge.
But why hadn’t I heard of it before?
I paused the video, opened up Google, and fell straight into a rabbit hole. I wanted to understand the concept, the methods, and why it mattered. By the time I came back up for air, I was sold. The second brain isn’t just a neat idea—it’s an absolute game-changer, especially for developers like me.
What is a Second Brain?
At its core, the second brain is about recognizing that your real brain isn’t designed to hold and organize information. It’s designed to take in information and process it. The idea is to offload almost everything (ideas, tasks, and learnings) into an external system where it’s safe, organized, and easy to retrieve.
This idea resonated with me. Every day, I’m taking in tons of information through articles, videos, documentation, e.t.c. And often times, I fall into the trap that most people do. I’d process the new info in the moment, but I’d never write it down. I’d have great ideas, but if I didn’t act on them immediately, they’d get lost in the shuffle.
And ultimately I’d forget.
Sound familiar, right?
That’s where the second brain comes in. It’s a space where I can dump all of that raw information, process it later, and never worry about losing something important.
Building My Second Brain
After diving into the concept, I decided to create my own second brain. For me, the tool of choice has been Obsidian Notes. It’s clean, flexible, and perfect for creating interconnected notes that mimic the way our minds naturally work.
Over the last few months, Obsidian has become a part of my daily life. I use it to capture everything—technical concepts, solutions to problems, ideas for future blog posts, and even personal thoughts. I’ve built a system where I can store, organize, and revisit information whenever I need it.
Now unto the main topic.
Why Developers Need a Second Brain
As a software engineer, I’ve found the second brain concept to be especially important.
We deal with constant streams of new information:
- Code snippets we might need later.
- Solutions to problems we’ve solved before.
- Ideas for side projects or improvements to current ones.
- Insights from blog posts, videos, or conferences.
Without a system, it’s easy for this information to get lost. And that means wasted time, frustration, and sometimes, repeating work you’ve already done.
But with a second brain, everything changes. You can:
- Work more efficiently: Instead of reinventing the wheel, you’ve got all your past work and knowledge at your fingertips.
- Learn better: Writing things down helps reinforce what you’ve learned.
- Get creative: By organizing your ideas, you’ll start to see patterns and connections you might’ve missed.
For me, my second brain has become a tool not just for storing information but for growth, reflection, and creativity.
Looking Ahead
I’ve been using my second brain privately, but starting this blog feels like a natural next step. A place to take the best of my capture thoughts or ideas and share them. Whether it’s a solution to a tricky problem, an opinion about tech drama, or a lesson I’ve learned, this blog is my way of putting it all out there.
If you’re a developer (or just someone who juggles a lot of information), I’d encourage you to start thinking about your second brain too. It doesn’t have to be fancy. It just needs to work for you.