I Thought AI Would Kill the PARA Method (I Was Wrong)


I have two exciting developments to share with you this week…

#1: One of our YouTube videos just hit 1 million views

It's the one where I break down 5 new features of NotebookLM that make it an ultimate AI-powered Second Brain.

The response has been incredible, and it's clear that people are hungry for practical ways to leverage AI for learning and knowledge management.

#2: Our Building a Second Brain community app is gaining traction

It's ranked #40 on the App Store under social networking apps and gives you a direct line into our community of over 11,000 members.

Download the app for iOS or Android and unlock our free PARA Method mini-course.


Why Companies Pay Big for This AI Role (ft. Rachel Woods)

"I haven't met a process in a business that I can't teach to AI," says Rachel Woods, founder of the AI Exchange community and DiviUp Agency.

Rachel's journey from Facebook's AI research team to helping hundreds of businesses implement AI has given her a unique perspective on what actually works.

What she's discovered about AI careers and business operations will completely reshape how you see what's possible.

In this interview, you'll discover:

  • The three essential roles every AI-first organization needs
  • Why technical people often fail at AI implementation
  • The 5-step CRAFT method for turning any business process into an AI workflow
  • How to identify if YOU have the natural skillset companies are seeking now
  • Real career transformation stories from Rachel's community

Rachel and I are in the YouTube chat right now (11 am ET) to answer your questions.


Why AI Makes Organization More Important

Here's what caught me off guard: I thought AI would make the PARA Method obsolete. Why organize files when AI can search through everything instantly?

I was wrong!

AI performs best when you give it a focused data dump of related information. If you're asking about improving your business operations, AI needs context that's all operations-related. Writing advice? Give it all your writing-related materials.

This is exactly what PARA provides: loose piles of information that are all connected to one specific thing. Your Projects folder contains everything related to current outcomes. Your Areas folder holds all materials for ongoing responsibilities.

The beauty is that your folders don't need to be perfectly organized internally. AI doesn't care if your files are messy or scattered within each category. It just needs that information to be grouped by topic.

Action step: Pick one PARA folder and dump its entire contents into an AI conversation. Ask a question related to that category and see what insights emerge.

Reply and tell me which folder you tried and what surprised you about the AI's response.


How to go from PKM to OKM – Scaling Knowledge Management

Matthias Frank, Notion consultant and writer of Europe's largest Notion newsletter, shared an excellent article that perfectly captures a challenge all organizations face.

Knowledge workers waste 1.5 workdays every month, just hunting for, re-creating, or duplicating information they already have.

But how do you evolve from solo player to multiplayer when it comes to knowledge management? Frank identifies the Four Horsemen that sabotage our best intentions.

And explains how to scale the principles of personal knowledge management into an organizational Second Brain by adapting my CODE framework:

  • Capture the knowledge that matters
  • Organize it in ways people can actually navigate
  • Distribute it where and when it's needed
  • Evolve it so it keeps driving the business forward

Transform Your Focus With ​Brain.fm​

I know you’re always on the hunt for tools that genuinely improve your life—which is why I'm excited to introduce you to Brain.fm's groundbreaking focus music.

Brain.fm’s patented audio technology was recently validated in a top neuroscience journal, showing how it changes your brainwaves to enhance concentration. They even offer a specialized ADHD mode, specifically engineered for brains that process attention differently.

Brain.fm is a powerful companion for any serious writing or deep thinking work.

For a limited time, our readers can get a full month of Brain.fm for free.

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Tiago Forte

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