Napkin review: a note app like our memory

Shu Omi
7 Jun 202206:30

TLDRNapkin is a minimalistic personal knowledge management app that blends features of bookmark managers like My Mind, note apps such as Roam and Obsidian, and writing tools like Scrivener. It employs AI and natural language processing to analyze and suggest connections between notes. With a unique 'magic labeling' feature, a corkboard-like interface for outlining, and a 'stacks' feature for linear writing, Napkin encourages atomic note-taking and enhances the serendipity of discovering connections. It also offers a browser extension and an iOS app for easy note collection, making it a powerful tool for building a second brain.

Takeaways

  • 📔 Napkin is a minimalistic personal knowledge management app that combines features of bookmark managers and note apps.
  • 🧠 It utilizes AI and natural language processing to analyze notes and suggest connections, enhancing the user's ability to make associations.
  • 🔍 The app includes a note review feature that uses spaced repetition to increase serendipity and improve note recall.
  • 🎨 Napkin offers a scrivener-like writing experience with a corkboard interface for organizing notes in a structured manner.
  • 🌐 It provides a balance between the chaos of thoughts and the order of traditional note-taking methods.
  • 📝 The interface is simple, displaying nodes and their related notes, encouraging the creation of concise, atomic notes.
  • 🤖 'Magic labeling' is a feature that uses NLP to suggest tags for notes, simplifying the process of categorization.
  • 🔗 Napkin excels at creating easy and fun connections between notes, potentially outperforming other note-taking apps in this aspect.
  • 📲 A browser extension and iOS app called 'Napkin Collect' facilitate the saving of text to the knowledge base with automatic tagging.
  • 📚 'Stacks' allow for linear writing by organizing notes in a specific order, similar to planning with index cards or a corkboard.
  • ⏱ 'Moments' is a feature for reviewing notes, offering three methods: spaced repetition, recent notes, and notes not seen for a while.
  • 🎉 The video provides a promo code for a one-month free trial of Napkin, encouraging viewers to try the app.

Q & A

  • What is Napkin and how does it differ from traditional note-taking apps?

    -Napkin is a minimalistic personal knowledge management app that combines features of bookmark managers, note apps, and writing tools. It uses AI and natural language processing to analyze notes and suggest connections, encouraging a more organized and interconnected approach to note-taking.

  • How does Napkin's interface differ from other note-taking apps?

    -Napkin's interface is simple, featuring a main window to view all nodes and a unique display of related notes when a central note is clicked. It encourages the use of small or 'atomic' notes, which are limited in character count, promoting the breaking down of ideas into reusable components.

  • What is the 'magic labeling' feature in Napkin and how does it assist users?

    -The 'magic labeling' feature in Napkin uses natural language processing to analyze the content of a note and suggest suitable tags. This assists users by reducing the time spent on manually tagging notes and helps in discovering relevant notes within the knowledge base.

  • How does the 'stacks' feature in Napkin aid in the writing process?

    -The 'stacks' feature in Napkin allows users to organize notes in a linear order, similar to an outline. It facilitates writing by enabling users to drag and drop relevant notes into a stack, creating a structured approach to writing and planning.

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

    -Napkin offers three ways to review notes: using the space repetition algorithm by pressing a tab, viewing recent notes through the inbox, and checking the 'not seen a while' folder to resurface older notes. These methods help ensure that no notes are forgotten or remain unused.

  • How does Napkin's note organization resemble Scrivener's corkboard feature?

    -Napkin's organization of notes within a stack is reminiscent of Scrivener's corkboard feature, allowing users to reorder and organize notes in a visual, card-like format. This method is particularly useful for writers as it helps in planning and structuring content.

  • What is the 'Napkin Collect' app and how does it integrate with the main Napkin app?

    -The 'Napkin Collect' app is a browser extension and iOS app that allows users to save text directly to their Napkin knowledge base. It uses magic labeling to automatically tag highlighted text, facilitating the collection of ideas and information from various sources.

  • How does Napkin's approach to note-taking align with the methods of Robert Greene and Ryan Holiday?

    -Napkin's approach to note-taking aligns with the methods of Robert Greene and Ryan Holiday by using a system similar to index cards for collecting ideas and organizing them into outlines. Napkin may be considered a digital alternative to their physical note-taking and outlining process.

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

    -The 'atomic note' concept in Napkin refers to the practice of limiting each note to a single idea. This encourages users to deconstruct complex ideas into smaller, more manageable components, which can then be easily reused and recombined in different contexts.

  • How does the video reviewer describe their experience with Napkin?

    -The video reviewer describes their experience with Napkin as enjoyable, highlighting the app's simplicity, fun-to-use interface, and its effectiveness as a writing tool for building a 'second brain.' They also appreciate the app's ability to suggest connections between notes and its potential to increase serendipity in note-taking.

Outlines

00:00

📓 First Impressions of Napkin: A Minimalistic Knowledge Management App

The video script introduces 'Napkin,' a new personal knowledge management application that combines features of bookmark managers and note-taking apps. It emphasizes the app's minimalistic design and AI-powered natural language processing to analyze and suggest connections between notes. The script highlights Napkin's unique 'note to review' feature, which uses spaced repetition to increase serendipity, and its Scrivener-like writing experience that allows for note organization on a 'corkboard.' The app is described as a balance between the chaos of our minds and the order of traditional paper, with a simple and intuitive interface that encourages the creation of 'atomic notes,' or notes with a single idea each, to improve the reusability of content. The script also mentions the 'magic labeling' feature, which uses NLP to suggest tags for notes, and the 'stacks' feature for linear writing and organization, similar to Scrivener's corkboard. Additionally, the script discusses the app's browser extension and iOS app for easy note collection and the various ways to review notes, including through a space repetition algorithm, an inbox for recent notes, and a folder for notes not seen in a while.

05:02

📝 Writing Techniques and Review Features in Napkin

The second paragraph of the script delves deeper into the writing process facilitated by Napkin, highlighting its utility for creating outlines and filling in a 'skeleton' for writing, a method the narrator found effective. It introduces 'Moments,' a feature designed to make note review more accessible through three methods: a keyboard shortcut for spaced repetition, an inbox for recent notes, and a folder for notes not seen recently. The script likens the app's approach to the writing methods of Robert Greene and Ryan Holiday, who use index cards for idea collection and organization. The video concludes with an invitation for viewers to try Napkin with a promo code for a free month and a mention of another video on a note-taking method called 'tarot casting.'

Mindmap

Keywords

💡Napkin

Napkin is described as a new minimalistic personal knowledge management app. It is likened to a blend of bookmark manager apps and note-taking apps, suggesting a multifunctional tool for organizing and managing personal information. The script highlights its user-friendly interface and the ability to link notes, which is crucial for knowledge synthesis and retrieval. For instance, the reviewer mentions that Napkin uses AI and natural language processing to analyze notes and suggest connections, which is a significant feature that sets it apart from traditional note-taking apps.

💡AI and Natural Language Processing

Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Natural Language Processing (NLP) are mentioned as the technologies that Napkin employs to analyze user's notes. These technologies are integral to the app's functionality, as they enable the app to understand and process human language, thereby suggesting connections between notes. The script illustrates this by explaining how Napkin uses AI to analyze notes and suggest tags, which facilitates the organization and retrieval of information.

💡Spaced Repetition

Spaced repetition is a learning technique where information is reviewed at increasing intervals over time, which is said to improve long-term memory retention. In the context of the video, the 'note to review' feature of Napkin uses spaced repetition to resurface notes, thereby increasing the chances of serendipitous connections and enhancing the learning process. The reviewer appreciates this feature as it helps in revisiting and reinforcing the notes effectively.

💡Serendipity

Serendipity refers to the occurrence of events by chance in a happy or beneficial way. In the script, serendipity is associated with the unexpected connections that Napkin surfaces between notes, which can lead to new insights or ideas. The reviewer finds this aspect of the app particularly engaging, as it mimics the serendipitous discoveries one might make while browsing through physical notes or books.

💡Atomic Notes

Atomic notes are small, concise notes that contain a single idea each. The script encourages the creation of atomic notes within Napkin, as it promotes the breaking down of complex ideas into simpler components. This approach not only aids in better organization but also enhances the reusability of notes, as smaller, more focused notes can be easily combined and repurposed in different contexts.

💡Magic Labeling

Magic labeling is a feature of Napkin that uses natural language processing to analyze the content of a note and suggest suitable tags. This feature streamlines the note-taking process by reducing the cognitive load associated with tagging, as the app automatically suggests relevant tags based on the note's content. The reviewer finds this feature particularly useful, as it saves time and effort in managing and organizing notes.

💡Browser Extension

The browser extension for Napkin is mentioned as a tool that allows users to save text from the web directly into their knowledge base within the app. This feature, called 'Napkin Collect,' facilitates the collection of information from various online sources, making it easier for users to curate and organize their digital notes. The script highlights the convenience of this feature, which can be used to quickly save and tag highlighted text from web pages.

💡Stacks

Stacks in Napkin are used for organizing notes in a linear fashion, similar to creating an outline or a sequence of ideas. The script describes how users can drag and drop notes into a stack to build a structured collection of information. This feature is likened to the corkboard interface in Scrivener, a popular writing app, and is presented as a useful tool for writers and thinkers who prefer a more structured approach to note-taking and idea organization.

💡Moments

Moments is a feature in Napkin that facilitates the review of notes. The script outlines three ways to review notes using Moments: by pressing a tab to resurface notes using a spaced repetition algorithm, by using the inbox to view recently created notes, and by accessing the 'not seen a while' folder to revisit older notes. This feature is praised for ensuring that no notes are overlooked or forgotten, thus maintaining an active and dynamic knowledge base.

💡Index Cards

Index cards are small cards used for note-taking and idea organization, often associated with the writing methods of Robert Greene and Ryan Holiday. The script suggests that Napkin might be a digital alternative to physical index cards, as it allows for the collection and organization of ideas in a similar manner. This comparison underscores the app's utility for writers and thinkers who value the tactile and visual aspects of organizing information.

Highlights

Napkin is a minimalistic personal knowledge management app.

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

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

Features a note review system using spaced repetition to increase serendipity.

Provides a scrivener-like writing experience with a corkboard for note organization.

Balances chaos and order, mimicking the human mind and paper organization.

Napkin's interface encourages the creation of small, atomic notes for better recombinability.

Magic labeling uses AI to suggest tags and connections, simplifying the note-taking process.

Browser extension and iOS app, Napkin Collect, facilitate easy saving of text with automatic tagging.

Stacks feature allows for linear writing and note organization similar to Scrivener's corkboard.

Moments feature offers three ways to review notes, ensuring no notes are overlooked.

Napkin's simplicity and fun interface make it an attractive tool for building a second brain.

Promo code 'streaming' offers one month free for new users.

Napkin's note-taking method is reminiscent of Robert Greene and Ryan Holiday's index card technique.

The app is positioned as a digital alternative to traditional note-taking and outlining methods.

Shu's first impression video provides an in-depth look at Napkin's features and user experience.

Napkin's design encourages breaking down big ideas into smaller components for better reuse.

The app's simplicity makes it accessible for users who find other note apps too complex.

Napkin's features are designed to enhance the writing process and idea organization.