Tagging and linking with AI (Napkin.one)

Nicole van der Hoeven
5 May 202317:49

TLDRThe video explores the use of AI in note-taking through an app called Napkin, which automates the tagging process using a fork of GPT-3. Napkin collects thoughts, assigns tags, and helps create content by linking similar notes. The creator discusses their experience with the app, showcasing how it integrates with Readwise and Obsidian, and how it aids in the ideation process for talks and articles. Despite the lack of direct integration with Obsidian, the app's ability to export data in JSON and CSV formats ensures user data isn't locked in.

Takeaways

  • 📌 The speaker finds tagging in Obsidian daunting and prefers using links and metadata instead.
  • 🤖 An app called Napkin is introduced, which uses AI to automatically assign tags to thoughts, making the process easier.
  • 🔍 Napkin collects thoughts, uses AI for tagging, and helps in creating content by resurfacing related notes.
  • 🕒 The speaker has been using Napkin for seven months and has decided to invest in its Believer plan for lifetime access.
  • 🔗 Napkin offers four ways to input thoughts, including manual entry, web clipper, iOS app, and integration with Readwise.
  • 📝 The app suggests tags automatically when thoughts are added, and users can add more tags as needed.
  • 🔄 The daily mix feature in Napkin prompts users to review and tag old thoughts, improving the tagging process over time.
  • 🗂️ The app also helps in the creative process by allowing users to create 'stacks' of related thoughts for projects or talks.
  • 📋 Users can export their thoughts and tags from Napkin in JSON and CSV formats, ensuring data isn't locked within the app.
  • 🚀 Despite being in early stages, Napkin has made the tagging process enjoyable and useful for the speaker's workflow.
  • 🔗 The speaker suggests reaching out to @TfTHacker for potential integration ideas between Napkin and Obsidian.

Q & A

  • What is the main purpose of the 'Napkin' app mentioned in the video?

    -The 'Napkin' app is designed to collect thoughts, automatically tag them using AI, and help users create content by resurfacing similar notes that they may not have seen before.

  • How does the 'Napkin' app use AI to assist users?

    -The app utilizes a fork of GPT-3 to automatically assign tags to each thought, making the process of categorization easier and less time-consuming for the user.

  • What are the different ways to input thoughts into 'Napkin' as described in the video?

    -Thoughts can be added manually within the app, through a web clipper extension for Chrome, via the iOS-only Napkin app, or by using Readwise to import highlights.

  • How does the 'Napkin' app help in the content creation process?

    -It aids in the ideation process by allowing users to explore and organize thoughts into 'stacks', which can then be used as a basis for talks or written content.

  • What is the 'Believer plan' for 'Napkin' and what does it offer?

    -The 'Believer plan' is a payment plan for 'Napkin' that costs $300 and grants the user lifetime access to the app and its features.

  • How does 'Napkin' handle the review and organization of thoughts?

    -Users can review thoughts through the 'daily mix' feature, add or modify tags, and archive thoughts that are not relevant. The app also surfaces related notes to help users explore connections.

  • What is the significance of the 'stacks' feature in 'Napkin'?

    -The 'stacks' feature allows users to group related thoughts together, similar to a pile of napkins, making it easier to organize ideas for specific projects or talks.

  • How can users export their thoughts and tags from 'Napkin'?

    -Users have the option to export their thoughts and tags in JSON and CSV formats, ensuring that their data is not locked into the app and can be used elsewhere.

  • What is the current status of integration between 'Napkin' and 'Obsidian'?

    -As of the video, there is no direct integration between 'Napkin' and 'Obsidian'. However, the creator is in discussion with TfTHacker about the possibility of such an integration.

  • How does the 'Napkin' app enhance the user experience compared to traditional note-taking methods?

    -The app makes the process of tagging and organizing notes more enjoyable and less daunting through its user-friendly interface and AI-powered tagging, turning what is often seen as a chore into a more engaging experience.

  • What are the different ways 'Napkin' can be accessed according to the video?

    -The 'Napkin' app can be accessed through a web browser on desktop, as well as through a mobile app on iOS devices.

Outlines

00:00

📌 Embracing AI-Powered Tagging with Napkin

The speaker expresses initial reluctance towards using tags in Obsidian, finding the process of manually tagging notes daunting and exhausting. They introduce an app called Napkin, which uses AI to automatically assign tags, making the process more accessible and potentially useful. Napkin collects thoughts, tags them using AI, and helps in creating content by surfacing related notes. The speaker has been using Napkin for seven months and has invested in its Believer plan, indicating a strong belief in the app's utility. They outline four methods to input thoughts into Napkin, including manual entry, web clipper, iOS app, and through Readwise integration, highlighting the latter as their preferred method due to its ability to sync highlights automatically.

05:00

🔍 Daily Review and Tagging Process in Napkin

The speaker describes the daily review process in Napkin, which involves going through a 'daily mix' of thoughts prioritized by the app. They demonstrate how to add and edit tags, including the use of a magic symbol for AI-suggested tags and manual addition of relevant keywords. The process includes archiving irrelevant thoughts and exploring related notes through tags, which the speaker finds enjoyable and engaging. They also discuss the improvement in the app's tagging and note similarity identification as more manual tags and highlights are added, leading to a more personalized and effective experience.

10:02

🛠 Utilizing Napkin for Ideation and Content Creation

The speaker outlines their workflow for using Napkin as a tool for ideation and content creation, specifically for preparing a talk. They describe how to use tags to filter thoughts and create 'stacks' for organizing ideas related to a specific topic. The process involves pinning relevant thoughts, creating sections within a stack, and dragging and dropping thoughts into these sections. The speaker then demonstrates how to transfer the organized stack content into Obsidian, creating a structured outline for a talk or article. They also mention the ability to export thoughts and tags from Napkin in JSON and CSV formats, ensuring that the data is not locked within the app.

15:03

🌐 Napkin's Integration Potential and User Experience

The speaker discusses the potential for integrating Napkin with Obsidian, expressing interest in having tags and thoughts applied back to Obsidian to streamline the tagging process. They acknowledge the current lack of direct integration but mention ongoing discussions with a developer. The speaker also appreciates Napkin's cross-platform compatibility, as it works on various browsers and mobile devices. They conclude by emphasizing the enjoyable user experience Napkin provides, making the task of tagging feel more like a game than a chore. The speaker invites viewers to try Napkin, offering a 30-day free trial and different subscription options, and thanks the audience for watching.

Mindmap

Keywords

💡Tags

Tags are labels or keywords used to categorize and organize content, making it easier to find and relate similar items. In the context of the video, tags are used to classify notes within the Obsidian note-taking app and Napkin, an AI-powered app. The script mentions the user's initial reluctance to use tags due to the perceived effort involved but highlights how Napkin's AI automates the tagging process, making it more accessible and useful.

💡Links

Links are connections between different pieces of information, which can be used to create a network of related data. In the video, links are described as 'semantic' and integral to the way information is navigated within Obsidian. They are easy to create and contribute to the interconnectedness of notes, enhancing the overall structure and accessibility of one's knowledge base.

💡Metadata

Metadata refers to data that provides information about other data. In the video script, metadata is mentioned as a feature that can be incorporated into templates within Obsidian, which simplifies the process of creating new notes by pre-filling certain values. This helps in maintaining consistency and structure across the notes.

💡AI (Artificial Intelligence)

AI, or Artificial Intelligence, is the simulation of human intelligence in machines that are programmed to think and act like humans. In the video, AI is utilized by the Napkin app to automatically assign tags to thoughts, streamlining the note-taking process. The script emphasizes the app's use of a 'fork of GPT-3,' an advanced AI language model, to perform this task.

💡Napkin

Napkin is an app introduced in the video that assists in the organization and creation of thoughts using AI. It collects thoughts, automatically tags them, and helps in generating new ideas by surfacing related notes. The script describes the app's three main functions and the creator's personal investment in it, indicating its significance in their workflow.

💡Readwise

Readwise is an app mentioned in the script that serves as middleware for capturing and processing content from the internet. It has an integration with Napkin, allowing highlights from Readwise to be imported into Napkin. This process simplifies the workflow of transferring and organizing information from various sources.

💡Daily Mix

In the context of the video, the 'Daily Mix' is a feature within the Napkin app that presents a set of thoughts for the user to review daily. It prioritizes older thoughts, encouraging the user to revisit and possibly add or refine tags, thereby enhancing the organization and retrieval of information.

💡Stacks

Stacks in the video refer to a method of organizing thoughts within the Napkin app. They are likened to a pile of napkins, allowing users to group related thoughts together. This feature aids in the ideation process, as demonstrated when the creator prepares for a talk by collecting relevant thoughts into a stack.

💡Export

Exporting in the video script pertains to the ability to save and transfer data out of the Napkin app. The app allows users to export their thoughts, connections, and tags in JSON and CSV formats, ensuring that the user's data is not locked within the app and can be utilized in other platforms or tools.

💡Integration

Integration in the context of the video refers to the potential connection between Napkin and other tools like Obsidian. While the script mentions that there is no direct integration at present, it suggests the possibility of future development, which would allow for a more seamless workflow between the apps.

Highlights

Obsidian's tags can be daunting and exhausting to use for some users.

Napkin is an app that uses AI to automatically assign tags, simplifying the process.

Napkin collects thoughts, uses AI for tagging, and helps create content by resurfacing similar notes.

The speaker has been using Napkin for seven months and has integrated it into their workflows.

Napkin offers a $300 Believer plan for lifetime access.

There are four ways to input thoughts into Napkin: manually, web clipper, iOS app, and through Readwise.

Napkin's UI presents thoughts as little bits of napkin spread out on a table, enhancing the exploration experience.

Daily mix in Napkin prompts users to review and tag thoughts, improving the tagging process.

Napkin's tagging feature includes a magic symbol for AI-identified tags and allows for manual addition of tags.

The app enables archiving of thoughts that are not relevant, keeping the workflow clean.

Napkin's interface encourages exploration of tags and related thoughts, fostering connections between ideas.

Napkin aids in the creation process by helping users compile thoughts into stacks for projects or talks.

Stacks in Napkin can be exported to clipboard and then imported into Obsidian for further development.

Napkin allows for exporting thoughts and tags in JSON and CSV formats, ensuring data portability.

There is a potential for future integration between Napkin and Obsidian, though currently it's a manual process.

Napkin operates on a browser and has a mobile app, making it accessible across different platforms.

The app turns the chore of tagging into a more enjoyable and game-like experience.

Napkin provides a free 30-day trial, with subscription options after the trial period.