Obsidian Knowledge Management: Connect Ideas and Build Your Second Brain
I’ve been there. Staring at a book or article, thinking “this is important,” only to forget the details weeks later. Or worse, having a brilliant idea at 2 AM and having no system to capture it properly. The frustration of information overload is real—so many dots to connect, but no way to make them meaningful.
You’ve probably experienced this too. You read something fascinating, take a quick note, then never look at it again. The knowledge gets buried somewhere in your digital graveyard, never to be seen or used. It’s like having all the ingredients for a great meal but no recipe to combine them. The result? Half-baked ideas, forgotten insights, and a sense that you’re working harder but learning less effectively.
What You’ll Get From This Here’s what you’ll walk away with after understanding this approach:
- A practical system for connecting ideas using Obsidian’s powerful linking features
- How to create smart placeholders that automatically organize as you learn
- The technique of space repetition for building long-term knowledge retention
- A method to learn any topic by building connected knowledge nodes
- The simplest investment strategy for those who want results without the complexity
The Solution Let’s dive into the practical steps for building your knowledge management system. I’ll show you exactly how to leverage Obsidian’s features to create a connected knowledge base that grows with you.
The Power of Connected Knowledge
When you’re learning something new, don’t just take notes—create connections. The video demonstrates using investment as our example topic. Start with one concept, then branch out as questions arise.
Instead of creating isolated notes, create placeholders that link to each other. When you encounter a term like “financial statement” while reading, create a placeholder immediately. This creates a visual map in your graph view that shows how ideas relate.
The beauty of this approach is that your knowledge base becomes self-organizing. You don’t need to spend hours categorizing everything upfront. As you learn, the connections form naturally, and your graph view becomes a living representation of your understanding.
Creating Smart Placeholders
One of Obsidian’s most powerful features is its ability to create note placeholders with simple keyboard shortcuts. When you’re reading something and encounter an unfamiliar term or concept, just select the text and press the left square bracket twice.
This creates a placeholder note that’s automatically linked to your current note. It’s like planting a flag that says “I need to learn about this later.” The placeholder appears in your graph view as a node that’s waiting to be filled with knowledge.
This approach is particularly useful when you’re learning complex topics. For example, when learning about stock investment, you might encounter terms like IPO, financial statements, or valuation metrics. Each becomes a placeholder, creating a web of interconnected concepts that you can explore and fill in as you gain understanding.
Building a Knowledge Network
The real magic happens when you start connecting existing notes to new concepts. Let’s say you already have a note about “stock investing” and you’re now learning about “how stock price is decided.” You can link them together to create a rich knowledge network.
When you type the name of an existing note inside double brackets, Obsidian searches and filters intelligently. Just type a few letters and it shows matching notes and placeholders. This makes it easy to find and connect related information without breaking your workflow.
This connected approach means you’re not just learning about one topic in isolation. You’re building a comprehensive understanding where every concept connects to and reinforces others. When you review your notes, you can hover over linked terms to see their content without leaving your current note.
Different Types of Stock Pricing
Understanding how stock prices work is crucial for any investor. The video explains two main scenarios:
For newly listed companies, the price is determined through a process called IPO (Initial Public Offering). Investment banks analyze the company’s financial statements, compare it to industry peers, assess growth potential, and evaluate market conditions. Based on this comprehensive analysis, they determine the initial stock price.
For established companies, it’s simpler—supply and demand. When more people want to buy a stock than sell it, the price goes up. When more people want to sell than buy, the price goes down. This daily fluctuation is what you see on financial news channels.
The key insight is that both methods are valuable to understand. The IPO process helps you evaluate new opportunities, while supply and demand helps you understand day-to-day market movements.
The Lazy Investor’s Strategy
Here’s where it gets interesting. Not everyone has the time or desire to become a stock market expert. What if you’re busy and want a simple, effective investment approach?
The answer is index funds. Instead of trying to pick individual stocks (which is complex and time-consuming), you buy a basket of stocks that tracks a market index like the S&P 500. This gives you exposure to 500 of the largest US companies with a single purchase.
The beauty of index funds is that they’re diversified by design. You’re not betting on one company’s success—you’re participating in the overall growth of the market. Historical data shows that S&P 500 index funds have delivered approximately 10% annual returns over the long term.
The Space Repetition Advantage
This is where your connected knowledge base becomes truly powerful. When you review your notes, you’re not just reading—you’re reinforcing connections in your brain. This is called space repetition.
The graph view becomes your learning dashboard. You can start at any node and explore related concepts, creating an intuitive learning path. For example, start with “investment,” move to “how stock price is decided,” then to “IPO,” and eventually to “index funds.” The journey creates a complete picture.
When you revisit these notes periodically, you refresh the information in your memory. This strengthens neural pathways and makes knowledge stick. Over time, you’re not just collecting information—you’re building a lifelong learning system that makes you smarter every day.
Watch the Full Video For the complete step-by-step walkthrough, watch the full video below:
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👋 About Me
Hi, I’m Shuvangkar Das — a power systems researcher with a Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering, currently working as a Research Scientist. I work at the intersection of power electronics, inverter-based DERs (IBRs), and AI to help build smarter, greener, and more stable electric grids.
My work spans large-scale EMT simulations, firmware development, reinforcement learning, and hardware prototyping. Beyond engineering, I’m also a YouTuber and content creator — sharing hands-on insights on productivity, research, and knowledge management. My goal is simple: to make complex ideas more accessible and actionable for everyone.
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