Famous Failures with Tiago Forte

I recently spoke with Ozan Varol on his podcast Famous Failures. We talked about….what else? Failures! More specifically, we discussed: How Tiago quit his consulting position to pursue a career as an entrepreneur What you can do to prepare for being an entrepreneur Why Tiago’s first business venture was a massive success. How that massive…

Tiago Forte’s Origin Story

I am a first-generation American, born and raised in Orange County in Southern California. I grew up in a mixed Brazilian and Filipino household with two brothers and a sister. Our home was filled with culture and the arts for as long as I can remember. My mother is a talented musician and singer who…

On Purpose Podcast with Alex Beadon

I recently had a wonderful conversation with entrepreneur and online business evangelist Alex Beadon, on her popular podcast On Purpose. We talked about: How I started Forte Labs Where my inspiration comes from The levels of the Digital Productivity Pyramid The importance of Market Research and my process of getting it done How to get started…

Announcing Building a Second Brain Version 9, Kicking Off Oct. 2

I’m very proud to announce version 9 of Building a Second Brain, open for enrollment starting now. To celebrate hitting the 1,000 student milestone last month, we are making the biggest upgrade to the course in two years. You can see all the new features we’re adding here (there’s too many to list here). They…

Don’t Set New Year’s Resolutions – Create Reusable Components

This article was originally published on the FugBugz blog. With the new year just around the corner, we’re entering the season of New Year’s’ Resolutions. Prepare yourself for overcrowded gyms and inspirational Instagram quotes tagged with #bigdreams. If that’s not quite your style, I’d like to introduce you to a very different way of making…

Public Libraries: Our Last Stand for Social Infrastructure

The relationships that underpin a strong community don’t happen by accident.  They require “social infrastructure” – the physical spaces in which people have direct, face-to-face interaction. Communities emerge from places like schools, playgrounds, parks, athletic fields, sidewalks, courtyards, community gardens, churches, civic associations, markets, cafes, diners, barber shops, bookstores, and libraries. Libraries are the focus…

Libraries in the Digital Age: A Case Study in Equipping Librarians with the Tools of Idea Management

Last year I received an intriguing message from someone who called himself “The Efficient Librarian.” He had recently completed my online course Building a Second Brain, and said he wanted to talk about a collaboration. This mysterious sender turned out to be Doug Crane, writer of The Efficient Librarian blog and director of the county…