AI for Breakfast

Chris Witham • February 27, 2024

Post 42 - Building a second brain


With regard to my exploration into the Notion App there’s reference to a book by Tiago Forte called ‘Building a second brain’


I am really getting into it, the concept of how it works is quite appealing. I’ve tried so many note taking apps and systems to get all the stuff out of my head and organised and never managed to really find one that worked for me. I'm hoping this one will be the one, as I need something!


An early line from the book resonated with me “So many of us share the feeling that we are surrounded by knowledge, yet starving for wisdom.” I probably have hundreds of digital notes, links and snippets of information over at least three Apps I can think of and probably more, all taken at the time because I thought them relevant to some project or other I was either working on or thinking about, never to be seen again! May be they were really useful, may be they still are?


I aim to finish the book quickly, and then armed with my newly aquired skills I'll start using the Notion template I paid $20 for that uses this system and hopefully I'll be overload free in the next few months!


Carrying on with the AI experiment that this blog is I got my custom GPT to summarise and explain the basic concept of what this is all about, so here it is for your information.


If you’d like to find out more here’s the link to Tiago Forte’s website. and here’s a link to his book


Beyond note-taking:
Building your second brain for creative and professional growth



In today's digital age, where information is as abundant as it is overwhelming, finding a method to manage this deluge has become essential for both personal and professional growth. Enter the concept of Building a Second Brain (BASB), a methodology that transcends traditional note-taking by offering a robust digital system to support our work, creativity, and personal development. As we navigate through the core principles of BASB, let's uncover how this approach can revolutionise the way we handle information.


Capture everything

Our minds are incredible, yet relying on them to store every piece of information, idea, or inspiration we come across is impractical. The BASB methodology encourages us to capture everything of interest or importance in a digital format. This could range from articles and quotes to personal reflections and fleeting thoughts. The act of capturing isn't just about collection; it's about acknowledging the value of every piece of information and giving it a place outside our cognitive load.


Organise to retrieve

The essence of BASB isn't in the mere storage of information but in organising it in a manner that enhances retrievability. It's about creating a system where information is not just dumped but categorised, tagged, and integrated into our digital tools in a way that aligns with our workflow. This structured approach ensures that we can access the right information at the right time, turning our second brain into a reliable extension of our cognitive capabilities.


Distil the information

With an abundance of information at our fingertips, the challenge often lies in sifting through the noise to find the signals. Distilling the information means condensing our captured notes into actionable insights and core ideas that hold genuine value. This process of refinement helps in decluttering our digital brain and focusing our attention on what truly matters, enabling us to make informed decisions and drive meaningful actions.


Express to create

The pinnacle of the BASB methodology is the ability to use the organised, distilled information to fuel creation. Whether it's generating content for our websites, devising strategies for our clients, or finding innovative solutions to challenges, BASB empowers us to express ourselves more effectively. By leveraging our second brain, we can transform stored knowledge into new, creative outputs that reflect our understanding and insights.


Incorporating the BASB methodology into our daily routines can be a game-changer for professionals and creatives alike. It's not just about managing information; it's about enhancing our capacity to think, create, and innovate. As we build our second brain, we're not just organising data; we're constructing a foundation for continuous learning and development.

Lines of colorful computer code on a dark background.
By Chris Witham December 11, 2025
Where AI really helps your Business If you spend any time on LinkedIn or X, you’ll have seen bold claims about how AI can help you build software in a matter of days. There’s a lot of excitement, a lot of big promises, and a fair bit of confusion for business owners trying to work out what’s real. A new term doing the rounds is “Vibe Coding” —the idea of describing what you want to an AI assistant and having it generate the code for you. It’s becoming popular because it can move things forward quickly and help people explore ideas they wouldn’t have been able to create alone. And the truth is, it does have its place. The challenge isn’t the technique. It’s the expectation that AI will automatically deliver finished, reliable, production-ready tools without any real design or thinking behind them. AI accelerates the work you already do well Used properly, AI can: • Remove huge amounts of repetitive work • Speed up drafting and iteration • Generate working prototypes in hours • Help non-technical people explore ideas • Improve documentation, planning and communication This is where it shines. But it still needs clarity, structure, and well-designed processes around it. It’s like having a very fast assistant rather than a fully formed development team. Why many AI projects don’t deliver what people expect Independent research this year showed a clear pattern: • Many early AI initiatives failed to produce measurable business value • Companies abandoned AI ideas because they couldn’t scale or integrate them • The gap between an impressive demo and a reliable tool is larger than people thought This doesn’t mean AI is overhyped. It means teams jumped straight to execution without the groundwork. The technology isn’t the issue. It’s the approach. Small businesses don’t need Enterprise Platforms Most UK small businesses don’t need to build a full software product. What they actually need is: • Better workflows • Faster content generation • Clearer communication • Improved customer support • Tools that reflect the way they work • Consistency and repeatability AI is perfect for this. A custom GPT trained on your tone, your documents and your processes can become: • A writing assistant • A customer support helper • A knowledge base navigator • An internal guide for staff • A quality-control layer • A process automator No engineering team needed. No complex infrastructure. No stress. Where AI builds real value right now AI works best when it’s part of a thoughtful, guided approach: • Define the outcome you want • Build a lightweight prototype (AI helps here) • Add structure, rules and guardrails • Connect it to your real workflow • Test it with real users or staff • Iterate until it feels natural You can still move fast. You just avoid building something brittle that breaks the moment it’s needed. The key insight: AI doesn’t replace expertise, it amplifies it AI is at its strongest when someone knowledgeable decides: • What it should do • What it shouldn’t do • How it should behave • What tone it should use • How it fits into the business • What checks and constraints matter That’s where tools like custom GPTs genuinely shine. They’re not software products in the traditional sense. They’re flexible assistants shaped around your business. With the right design, they can save huge amounts of time and deliver consistent, practical value without any of the complexity of building a full system. A more useful way to think about AI in 2026 Instead of “AI will build everything for you”, a healthier mindset is: AI speeds up the work, but you set the direction. For small businesses, that’s more than enough to make a real difference.
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