How I Find Any Meeting Note in Seconds (No Complex System Required)
The speaker demonstrates how to use backlinking and journal-based note-taking in PKM tools like Heptabase to quickly capture and retrieve meeting information. By mentioning people, projects, and topics during meetings, you create interconnected context that enables rapid information retrieval through backlinks and search.
Summary
The speaker introduces a method for dramatically improving productivity in Personal Knowledge Management (PKM), one of four areas in a comprehensive productivity system. He explains that his breakthrough came when Rome Research introduced backlinking, allowing him to quickly access previously discussed information during fast-paced, context-switching work environments.
The core technique involves using a daily journal feature in tools like Heptabase to take meeting notes. Instead of complex organizational systems, the speaker simply mentions people, projects, and topics by using the @ symbol to create or link to cards on the fly. For example, during a meeting about Project Phoenix and Project Elephant with someone named Gandalf, he creates these references naturally while note-taking.
The speaker emphasizes that the real power emerges through backlinking—when you later search for a person or project, all instances where they were mentioned appear automatically, showing contextual connections. For actions that emerge during meetings, he uses checkbox syntax in Heptabase but warns against managing all tasks in the PKM system. Instead, actions should be processed from the inbox and moved to dedicated task management tools.
He stresses that this method works across multiple tools (Obsidian, Reflect, etc.) and requires minimal overhead—just consistent daily journaling with mentions. By establishing one trusted location for information, your mind knows where to look, and you can retrieve context from calendar dates or simple searches. The speaker concludes that this foundation is where busy professionals should start before attempting more complex PKM optimization.
Key Insights
- Rome Research's introduction of backlinking was a pivotal moment that enabled the speaker to become more responsive by having previously discussed information immediately at hand during meetings and context switching
- The speaker argues that many people incorrectly try to manage all tasks within their PKM system, when in fact dedicated task managers and project management tools should handle this complexity for busy professionals with hundreds of tasks
- Simply taking daily journal notes with mentions of people and projects automatically creates context that can be retrieved later through backlinks, without requiring upfront organizational effort
- The power of backlinking is demonstrated through the ability to search for a person and see all meetings and contexts they were mentioned in, revealing connections between different projects and people
- The speaker believes that most members joining PKM communities are overwhelmed and should start with journaling as the foundation rather than attempting to use one tool for everything
Topics
Transcript
[0:00] What I'm about to show you will 10x your productivity in a very specific area of your productivity system. In Icor, we talk about four areas of a productivity system. The PKM, personal knowledge management, the PPM, personal project management or task management. BPM, business project management, and BKM, business knowledge management. These four areas define a productivity system end to end for any professional out there. Today we talk only about PKM and how you can 10x your productivity there. So you see these are the tools that I [0:30] have in my PKM and essentially it's hepta basease and reader that is really relevant but does it matter for you out there if you're using something else?…
Full transcript available for MurmurCast members
Sign Up to AccessMore from ICOR with Tom | AI Productivity
I Can Build a $11 Billion Productivity App with AI (You Can Too)
The speaker demonstrates how modern AI models (Claude Sonnet 3.5) enable anyone to build sophisticated productivity applications without extensive coding knowledge, using the newly rebuilt myICOR membership platform as proof. He argues that pre-built platforms like Notion, Circle, and Mighty Networks are becoming obsolete as AI democratizes custom application development, and announces a live workshop teaching the conceptual and technical skills needed to build such apps.
I gave Claude 4 years of our work. It built this app.
A developer used Claude Sonnet 5.5 to build a fully functional ICOR-based productivity application in just one hour by providing the AI with four years of accumulated productivity knowledge and content. The resulting app successfully implements complex ICOR methodology concepts including inbox management, task prioritization, interruption handling, and life dimension tracking, though it needs UI/design refinement.
Claude just replaced every productivity app I use.
A content creator demonstrates how Claude's Sonnet 3.5 model with Code Interpreter can replace multiple productivity apps by building three fully-functional applications in under an hour with minimal prompting. The creator showcases a note-taking app with database features, a Mac application integrating their custom Obsidian plugins and ICOR life management methodology, and highlights the unprecedented speed and polish achievable without traditional development skills.
My AI team took 8 hours. Claude Sonnet 5.5 took 15 minutes.
A creator comparing an 8-hour AI team project with a 15-minute Claude Sonnet 5.5 solution reveals that excessive guardrails and restrictions paradoxically hindered the multi-agent system's performance. The speaker demonstrates how reducing constraints and context allows AI to produce more creative and functional results, though both approaches have significant limitations for production use.
Your knowledge should outlive every AI tool you use.
The speaker clarifies the distinction between the ICOR methodology (a tool-agnostic productivity framework) and its implementations like the ICOR for Life scaffold and myPKA AI team, emphasizing that users can adopt the core principles in any tool they prefer. They announce plans to restructure their membership platform by separating these components to reduce confusion and help users understand they're not locked into specific tools or systems.