How the CEO of Obsidian Takes his Notes (Underrated Genius)

TL;DR

Treat the Obsidian vault as a plain folder of Markdown files so notes remain usable even if the app changes or breaks.

Briefing Cornell Notes

Briefing

A minimalist Obsidian workflow built around “speed and laziness” turns a plain folder of Markdown files into a living knowledge network—by pushing notes into the vault root, organizing them with properties that feed smart tables, and linking ideas aggressively so they can be traced later. The system matters because it treats notes as durable artifacts independent of the app, while still making it easy to navigate, review, and recombine knowledge over time.

The approach starts with a practical setup: download Obsidian, then open the CEO of Obsidian MD’s prebuilt vault (via a blog link, GitHub clone, or template site) instead of creating a vault from scratch. In Obsidian, a “vault” is simply a folder of text files (Markdown). That design choice underpins the first pillar: the content outlasts the software. Even if Obsidian stopped working, the notes remain as files on disk.

Folder structure is intentionally light. Although the downloadable vault includes folders like “categories” and “notes” for clarity, the core philosophy avoids the overhead of deciding where things belong. Most notes live in the vault root. Categories are also treated as a convenience layer rather than a strict filing system: the system relies on note properties—especially a “categories” property—to power smart tables (via Obsidian’s Dataview/BASIS-style behavior) that automatically list related notes.

The workflow’s real engine is properties plus templates. Properties are added using Obsidian’s triple-dash syntax to create a structured metadata block (e.g., subject, author, grade level, meeting type). Types can be more than plain text—numbers enable more precise filtering, such as finding all notes tagged for “9th grade.” But manually filling properties is treated as wasted effort. Instead, the system uses templates inserted into new notes so key fields (like date, people, and category links) appear automatically. Hotkeys are configured to make this near-instant.

Navigation then shifts away from folder browsing to search and linking. A quick switcher search (command/ctrl O) finds notes by title or category, while internal links connect the first mention of an idea to its own note. The “link first mention” rule is central: when something appears for the first time—whether a person, a quote, a movie, or a restaurant—it becomes a link target. Over time, that creates a graph of thought where backlinks show where an idea was referenced, letting users jump back to the context that originally used it.

The vault also separates “outside the world” references from personal journaling. Notes about entities not directly experienced are moved into a “references” folder (including clippings imported via the Obsidian Web Clipper). Media and attachments are handled via dedicated folders, while daily notes exist mainly as link hubs rather than full writing spaces.

Finally, the system includes a review rhythm: daily capture (with templates and linked first mentions), periodic aggregation into higher-level notes, weekly to-dos via simple checklists, monthly reflections on compiled patterns, occasional random revisits using Obsidian’s random note feature, and an annual review that ties months together (including a set of 40 questions referenced from the blog). The overall message is not rigid doctrine—Obsidian’s flexibility means the goal is to borrow the principles that reduce friction while increasing connectivity.

Cornell Notes

The Obsidian CEO’s note-taking system builds a durable knowledge network by treating a vault as a plain folder of Markdown files and minimizing reliance on app-specific structure. Most notes live in the vault root, while organization comes from properties—especially a “categories” property—that feed smart tables for automatic overviews. Templates and hotkeys reduce the effort of adding metadata, so new notes start with the right fields already filled. The system’s navigation power comes from aggressive internal linking: the first mention of an idea becomes a link to its own note, and backlinks reveal where that idea was used. A review rhythm (daily capture, weekly to-dos, monthly reflection, random revisits, and yearly synthesis) turns scattered notes into reusable insights.

Why does the system keep most notes in the vault root instead of using many folders?

It’s designed around avoiding the overhead of deciding “where things go.” The vault includes folders like “categories” and “notes” for clarity in the downloadable version, but the workflow moves category notes into the root and deletes the extra folders. The organizing mechanism is metadata: notes carry properties (not folder placement) such as “categories,” which then populate smart tables/overviews. This keeps the file tree from becoming chaotic while still enabling structured retrieval.

How do properties and templates work together to keep note creation fast?

Properties use Obsidian’s frontmatter-style block (three dashes) to attach structured fields like subject, author, grade level, and categories. Property types can be more than text—for example, switching a grade field to a number enables numeric filtering (e.g., finding “9th grade” notes). Templates then automate the repetitive parts: instead of manually adding categories and fields for a meeting note, the user inserts a “meeting template,” which pre-fills properties like date and linked people. Hotkeys make template insertion quick (e.g., unique note creation, template insertion, and daily note creation).

What does “link the first mention” change about how knowledge is navigated later?

It turns casual writing into a connected map. When a concept appears for the first time—like “Perfect Days,” a person such as “Aisha,” or a restaurant—the system links that first mention to a dedicated note. Later, backlinks show where that note was referenced, letting the user jump back to the original context (e.g., from “Aisha” to the meeting entry that mentioned her). Over time, this creates traceable idea branching rather than isolated journal entries.

How does the system separate personal journaling from external references?

Personal experiences and general thoughts stay in the vault root, while entities “outside of the world” are moved into a “references” folder. For example, a person who is also an author (e.g., Ernest Becker) can have a dedicated reference note that aggregates meetings and authored books. Media items like movies are also moved into references and can use a movie template (including a rating property). Clippings imported via the Obsidian Web Clipper are placed under “clippings,” keeping sourced material distinct from lived notes.

What is the purpose of daily notes if they don’t contain much writing?

Daily notes act as link targets and trace markers rather than full journal pages. The system creates a daily note (via a hotkey) so other entries can link to it through created-date or journal relationships. That makes it easy to see what was captured on a given day, while keeping the daily note itself lightweight.

How does the review rhythm turn raw notes into higher-level thinking?

Capture happens daily, often with templates and linked first mentions. Then, every few days, notes are reviewed and compiled into a new synthesis note (e.g., a reflection like “getting happier and wiser”). Weekly reviews are used for simple to-dos via markdown checklists. Monthly reviews use a monthly reflection template to identify larger patterns. Periodically, random note traversal provides inspiration from older ideas, and an annual review combines monthly reflections using a set of 40 questions referenced from the blog.

Review Questions

Which metadata property drives the system’s automatic category overviews, and how does it reduce the need for folders?
How does linking the first mention of an idea interact with backlinks to support “trace back to context” navigation?
What roles do templates and hotkeys play in making the workflow sustainable during daily note capture?

Key Points

1
Treat the Obsidian vault as a plain folder of Markdown files so notes remain usable even if the app changes or breaks.
2
Keep organization lightweight: place most notes in the vault root and rely on properties rather than deep folder hierarchies.
3
Use properties (including typed fields like numbers) to enable precise searching and smart-table overviews.
4
Insert templates for new notes to avoid manual metadata entry and to standardize fields like date, categories, and linked entities.
5
Adopt aggressive internal linking: link the first mention of an idea so backlinks later reveal where it was used.
6
Separate lived journaling from external material by moving “outside the world” entities into references and using clippings for imported sources.
7
Run a consistent review cadence—daily capture, periodic synthesis, weekly to-dos, monthly reflection, random revisits, and yearly review—to convert notes into reusable insights.

Highlights

The vault’s durability comes from its core premise: a vault is just a folder of Markdown files, so the knowledge outlasts the software.

Categories are less about folders and more about metadata: a “categories” property feeds smart tables that automatically list related notes.

The system’s navigation trick is linking the first mention of an idea, then using backlinks to jump back to the original context.

Templates plus hotkeys turn note creation into a low-friction workflow, preventing metadata from becoming a bottleneck.

Daily notes function mainly as link hubs, while higher-level thinking emerges through periodic aggregation and reflection notes.

Topics

Obsidian Vault
Note Templates
Properties and Categories
Internal Linking
Backlinks and Navigation

Mentioned

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