Get the most out of your Readwise highlights with Napkin

Napkin
5 Jul 202303:22

TLDRDavid introduces Napkin, a tool to explore connections between Readwise highlights. Users can import highlights manually for control or opt for automatic daily imports of the latest 50. Napkin connects ideas from various sources and authors, allowing users to add tags, remove irrelevant suggestions, and search for specific concepts. With a focus on continuous improvement, the team welcomes user feedback to enhance the experience.

Takeaways

  • 🔗 Connect your Readwise highlights to Napkin to explore connections between them.
  • 🔑 Obtain an access token from Readwise to connect it with Napkin.
  • 📚 Choose between manual import for control or automatic import for convenience.
  • ⏱️ The initial setup may take a few minutes, especially when importing the first 100 highlights.
  • 🎁 The experience of connecting highlights feels like opening a present from your past self.
  • 🤔 Napkin suggests connections between ideas from different sources and authors.
  • 🗑️ Easily remove text suggestions that are not meaningful.
  • 🏷️ Add tags to your highlights to categorize and organize your thoughts.
  • 🔍 Use the search function to find specific tags or perform a full text search.
  • 🔗 Always have the source link available for further reading or reference.
  • 💡 Provide feedback for improvements and engage with the Napkin team for support.

Q & A

  • What is the purpose of the Readwise highlights with Napkin?

    -The purpose of Readwise highlights with Napkin is to explore the connections between the highlighted texts and ideas from various sources and authors, providing a more integrated understanding and learning experience.

  • How does one start setting up Napkin to connect with Readwise?

    -To start setting up Napkin with Readwise, you need to click the 'Connect to Readwise' button and paste your access token obtained from the provided link into the setup interface.

  • What are the two options for importing highlights into Napkin?

    -The two options for importing highlights into Napkin are manually importing each highlight, which allows for more control and editing, and automatically importing the latest 50 highlights, which are analyzed and connected in the background.

  • What happens when you choose to import the latest 100 highlights automatically?

    -Choosing to import the latest 100 highlights automatically starts the first session by importing these highlights, which may take a few minutes, and allows you to explore the connections between the ideas immediately after setup.

  • How does Napkin help in exploring connections between ideas?

    -Napkin helps in exploring connections by analyzing and linking related ideas from different sources and authors, showing them in context and allowing users to remove non-meaningful connections or add tags for better organization.

  • What can you do if you find a text suggestion in Napkin not meaningful?

    -If a text suggestion in Napkin is not meaningful, you can simply press the remove button to eliminate the suggestion, and the platform will update the related ideas shown around the centered idea.

  • How can you add tags to your highlights in Napkin?

    -You can add tags to your highlights in Napkin by selecting the text and choosing the 'add tag' option, which helps in organizing and categorizing your highlights for easier retrieval and exploration.

  • What is the function of the search feature in Napkin?

    -The search feature in Napkin allows users to find specific tags or perform a full text search to locate particular ideas, making it easier to navigate through the connected highlights and sources.

  • How can you access the original source of a highlight in Napkin?

    -To access the original source of a highlight in Napkin, you can click on the source link provided next to the highlight, which will open the original book or document in a new tab.

  • How can users provide feedback or suggestions for improving Napkin?

    -Users can provide feedback or suggestions for improving Napkin by reaching out through the chat feature located at the bottom left side of the interface.

  • What is the frequency of updates for Napkin based on user feedback?

    -Napkin is updated on a weekly basis, incorporating user feedback and suggestions to improve the platform and make it more inspiring.

Outlines

00:00

📚 Introduction to Readwise Integration

David introduces the process of integrating a collection of highlights with Readwise, a tool for exploring connections between ideas. He demonstrates how to connect Readwise by using an access token and choosing between manual import for control or automatic import of the latest 50 highlights. The setup includes importing the first 100 highlights, which takes a few minutes, and ends with the user being able to see the connections between ideas from various sources and authors.

Mindmap

Keywords

💡Readwise

Readwise is a platform that allows users to collect and manage their highlights from various books and articles they read. In the video, it is the starting point for using the tool 'Napkin' to explore connections between these highlights. The script mentions obtaining an access token from Readwise to connect with Napkin, indicating its role as a source of information for the process.

💡Napkin

Napkin is the tool being introduced in the video for connecting and exploring ideas from different sources. It is designed to help users find relationships between their Readwise highlights. The video demonstrates how Napkin can automatically import and analyze highlights, and then visually connect related ideas, enhancing the user's understanding and ability to draw insights.

💡Highlights

In the context of the video, highlights refer to the excerpts or notes taken by users from the content they read, which they find important or inspiring. The script discusses the process of importing these highlights into Napkin, either manually or automatically, to create a network of interconnected ideas.

💡Access Token

An access token is a security credential used to access APIs or services, such as Readwise in this case. The video script instructs viewers on how to obtain an access token from Readwise to enable the connection with Napkin, which is essential for the synchronization and analysis of the user's highlights.

💡Import

The term 'import' in the video refers to the process of transferring data, specifically the highlights from Readwise, into the Napkin application. The script offers two options for import: manually for more control or automatically for convenience, with the latter being demonstrated by importing the latest 100 highlights.

💡Connections

Connections in the video represent the relationships or links that Napkin identifies between different highlights. The script illustrates how ideas from separate sources and authors can be connected through common themes or philosophies, such as 'happiness' and 'philosophy,' providing a more integrated view of the user's readings.

💡Tags

Tags are labels used to categorize and organize information. In the video, they are used to add to or edit the highlights within Napkin, allowing for better sorting and searching of related ideas. The script shows how tags can be added or removed to refine the connections and the search results within the application.

💡Search

The search function in Napkin, as mentioned in the script, allows users to look for specific tags or ideas within their imported highlights. It provides an overview of the most frequent tags and enables full-text search to find and jump directly to a particular idea, enhancing the user's ability to navigate their collection.

💡Source Link

The source link is the direct reference to the original material from which a highlight was taken. The video script mentions that each highlight in Napkin is just one click away from the source link, allowing users to easily revisit the original context of the idea.

💡Improvement

The term 'improvement' in the video refers to the ongoing process of enhancing the Napkin tool based on user feedback. The script invites users to share their ideas for making Napkin more inspiring and to reach out with any questions, indicating an open channel for communication and a commitment to continuous development.

💡Setup

Setup in the video refers to the initial configuration process of the Napkin tool, where users connect it with Readwise, choose their import preferences, and begin the process of analyzing and connecting their highlights. The script describes this as an exciting moment akin to 'opening a present from my former self,' highlighting the value of revisiting past insights.

Highlights

David introduces a new way to explore connections between Readwise highlights using Napkin.

To connect Readwise, you need an access token which can be obtained via a provided link.

There are two options for importing highlights: manually for more control or automatically with the latest 50.

The automatic import option analyzes and connects highlights in the background daily.

The first session can start by importing the latest 100 highlights, which may take a few minutes.

After importing, you can explore the connections between ideas from different sources and authors.

Napkin suggests connections between highlights, which can be edited or removed if not meaningful.

Tags can be added to highlights for better organization and to update related ideas shown by Napkin.

A search function allows for an overview of frequently occurring tags and full text searches.

Each highlight comes with a source link for easy access to the original book or material.

The setup process ends with an invitation to explore the connections between ideas like opening a present from your former self.

Napkin is continuously improved on a weekly basis based on user feedback.

Users are encouraged to reach out with suggestions for improvement or questions about the Readwise import process.

The mission of Napkin is to make the exploration of ideas and connections inspiring and enjoyable.

David thanks users for joining and supporting the mission of Napkin.

The transcript concludes with an invitation to have fun and an inspiring time with Napkin.