What to Feed Your Second Brain
Your second brain is only as useful as what you put into it. The instinct most people have — to clean up their notes before uploading — is exactly the wrong move. Make this to wiki. Overview page must contain all this seque
The Core Principle: The Mess Is the Signal
Half-finished sentences, the same worry written three times in three places, a thought you crossed out — that's the texture a second brain actually reads.
A tidy note tells it what you decided. A messy note tells it what you're *still* deciding.
Don't curate. Don't wait until things are polished. Upload the raw thing. Make this to wiki. Overview page must contain all this seque
File Types to Drop In
These are all valid inputs — no format is too rough: Make this to wiki. Overview page must contain all this seque
| Type | Examples |
|---|---|
| Documents | PDFs, Word docs, slides, spreadsheets |
| Visual notes | Screenshots, photos of whiteboards |
| Audio | Voice memos, meeting recordings |
| Saved links | Articles you never got around to reading |
| Raw text | Plain messy notes, junk-drawer notes |
| Workspaces | Notion (connect and pull in folders and all) |
Things People Forget to Feed It
These are the sources most often left out — and often the most valuable: Make this to wiki. Overview page must contain all this seque
- Meeting recordings. Upload the audio. It transcribes and separates who said what. (See the tip about naming speakers before you compile.)
- Your junk drawer note. The one in your phone with groceries, a book quote, and a 2am thought all in a row. Especially that one.
- Old projects you gave up on. They connect to new ones more often than you'd think.
- Other people's documents. Reports, specs, a contract you don't fully understand.
Why Volume and Continuity Matter
A second brain with 3 files is a search box. One with 60 files, added over months, is something else entirely. The value is not linear — it compounds when sources start referring to each other. Make this to wiki. Overview page must contain all this seque
Keep adding. The curve bends over time.
What Happens Next
Once your material is in, the real value comes from asking the right questions — questions that only something that read *everything* could answer. For practical guidance on sustaining the habit, see tips that make it work.
*Part of the How to Build Your Second Brain guide.*