# Progressive Summarization Reference

> Source: Tiago Forte - Building a Second Brain

## Table of Contents
- [What is Progressive Summarization?](#what-is-progressive-summarization)
- [The Core Insight](#the-core-insight)
- [The Five Layers](#the-five-layers)
- [When to Summarize](#when-to-summarize)
- [The Just-in-Time Principle](#the-just-in-time-principle)
- [Visual Guide](#visual-guide)
- [Practical Tips](#practical-tips)
- [Common Mistakes](#common-mistakes)
- [Integration with Note Types](#integration-with-note-types)

---

## What is Progressive Summarization?

A technique for distilling notes in layers over time, making them increasingly useful for your future self without requiring upfront effort.

## The Core Insight

**Problem**: We either:
- Spend too much time organizing notes we never use, OR
- Save everything raw and can't find anything useful later

**Solution**: Add value to notes incrementally, only when you actually need them.

## The Five Layers

### Layer 0: Raw Source
The original content in its full form.
- Complete article
- Full book chapter
- Entire video transcript

*You rarely need to save this.*

### Layer 1: Captured Notes
Your initial excerpts and highlights.

```markdown
The key to productivity is not doing more things, but doing the
right things. Most people spend their time on urgent but
unimportant tasks, while neglecting important but not urgent
work. The solution is to identify your highest-leverage
activities and protect time for them.
```

*This is what goes in your Second Brain.*

### Layer 2: Bold Passages
**Bold** the most important 10-20%.

```markdown
The key to productivity is not doing more things, but **doing the
right things**. Most people spend their time on urgent but
unimportant tasks, while **neglecting important but not urgent
work**. The solution is to **identify your highest-leverage
activities** and protect time for them.
```

*Do this when you revisit a note and want to find key points faster.*

### Layer 3: Highlighted Core
==Highlight== the top 10% of bold passages.

```markdown
The key to productivity is not doing more things, but **doing the
right things**. Most people spend their time on urgent but
unimportant tasks, while **neglecting important but not urgent
work**. The solution is to ==**identify your highest-leverage
activities**== and protect time for them.
```

*Do this when the note is proving especially valuable.*

### Layer 4: Executive Summary
Write a brief summary in your own words at the top.

```markdown
## Summary
Focus on high-leverage activities, not urgent busywork.
Protect time for important-but-not-urgent work.

---

The key to productivity is not doing more things, but **doing the
right things**. Most people spend their time on urgent but
unimportant tasks, while **neglecting important but not urgent
work**. The solution is to ==**identify your highest-leverage
activities**== and protect time for them.
```

*Do this for your most valuable notes - the ones you return to repeatedly.*

### Layer 5: Remix
Transform into your own original content.
- Blog post
- Presentation slide
- Decision document
- Creative work

*This is the ultimate expression of the note's value.*

## When to Summarize

### Don't
- Summarize everything upfront
- Spend hours organizing new captures
- Over-process notes you may never use

### Do
- Add a layer when you naturally encounter a note
- Summarize when you need to use the information
- Let importance emerge through repeated access

## The Just-in-Time Principle

```
First encounter:  Save it (Layer 1)
Second encounter: Bold key points (Layer 2)
Third encounter:  Highlight the best (Layer 3)
Fourth encounter: Write summary (Layer 4)
Active use:       Remix into output (Layer 5)
```

If you never encounter it again, you saved time by not processing it.

## Visual Guide

```
Layer 0: ████████████████████████████████████████ (100%)
Layer 1: ██████████████████████████              (65%)
Layer 2: ██████████████                          (35%)
Layer 3: ███████                                 (17%)
Layer 4: ███                                     (8%)
Layer 5: █                                       (Original creation)
```

## Practical Tips

### Formatting Conventions
- **Bold**: Important points (Cmd/Ctrl + B)
- ==Highlight==: Key insights (varies by app)
- Headers: Section breaks
- Bullet points: Lists of items

### How Much to Bold?
- Aim for 10-20% of the text
- If everything seems important, you're probably:
  - Reading too passively
  - Not being selective enough
  - Need to re-read with a specific question

### How Much to Highlight?
- Aim for 10% of the bold text
- These should be "golden sentences"
- The parts you'd quote to someone

### Writing Summaries
- 2-3 sentences maximum
- Use your own words
- Answer: "What is this note about and why does it matter?"
- Place at the top of the note

## Common Mistakes

### 1. Highlighting Everything
If 50%+ is highlighted, nothing stands out.

### 2. Summarizing Too Early
Don't write summaries for notes you've only read once.

### 3. Using Only One Layer
Layers work together - bold alone isn't enough.

### 4. Perfectionism
Progressive summarization is meant to be "good enough," not perfect.

### 5. Forgetting the Goal
The goal is future usefulness, not thoroughness.

## Integration with Note Types

### Resources
Most benefit from progressive summarization - these are reference notes you'll return to.

### Projects
Light summarization - these notes are more action-oriented.

### Areas
Moderate summarization - maintain key standards and practices.

### Captures/Inbox
No summarization yet - these need to be processed first.

---

## The Underlying Philosophy

> "Your notes are not a museum of your past reading. They are a workshop for your future creations."

Progressive summarization turns passive consumption into active building blocks for creation.

---

*Reference compiled from Tiago Forte's Progressive Summarization methodology.*