myPKA Is Not Obsidian. Neither Is ICOR for Life.
Tom and Parker clarify that myPKA is a concept for building AI-assisted productivity systems using a local folder architecture, not a tool. They explain the three-layer system structure (AI LLM layer, local folder layer, and front-end interface layer) and why Obsidian was chosen as the recommended front-end while maintaining tool-agnosticism. The ICOR methodology provides the underlying framework regardless of which tools are used.
Summary
Tom and Parker address widespread confusion about myPKA and ICOR for Life, emphasizing that these represent concepts and methodologies rather than specific tools. MyPKA (My Personal Knowledge Assistance) is an architectural concept for how AI can interact with a local folder to build persistent memory and assist with personal productivity. ICOR for Life is the implementation methodology for building end-to-end, tool-agnostic productivity systems.
They introduce the three-layer system structure: (1) The AI layer—the LLM software accessed via APIs (Claude, ChatGPT, Gemini); (2) The local folder layer—a collection of markdown files and folders stored locally on the user's machine containing agent instructions, workflows, SOPs, and system memory; and (3) The front-end interface layer—the tool used to navigate and interact with the local folder (Obsidian, terminal, custom applications, etc.).
The speakers demonstrate their own implementations using the same core ICOR principles but with different choices in each layer. Tom uses Claude as his primary LLM, maintains a file-based local folder structure, and uses Obsidian with custom plugins as his front-end. Parker uses the same Claude-based LLM and ICOR structure but stores some information in a database instead of local files and uses a custom-coded front-end interface.
They explain the decision to recommend Obsidian not as a departure from tool-agnosticism but as a practical solution that provides a user-friendly interface without requiring members to become software developers. The key agents in the system—Larry the orchestrator, Pen (who creates journal entries), and Nolan (the team builder/HR agent)—remain consistent across implementations. Recent optimizations include experimenting with Claude Code Skills to enforce rules more strictly and comparing Claude's superior multi-level sub-agent capabilities with CodeX's better creative output.
The community has also received significant updates including revamped ICOR courses with animated videos, new Magic Slides, an upcoming "ICOR for Life Like a Pro" course showing Obsidian implementation, community discussion areas, and the ability for members to upload and share videos enriched by AI analysis. The transcript emphasizes that understanding the underlying methodology is more important than tool selection, allowing practitioners complete freedom to customize their implementation while maintaining system reliability.
About this episode
Nobody switched tools: the folder got a new name, and the myPKA concept behind it never changed. 👉 The folder in this episode is free inside myICOR: https://www.myicor.com/?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=video&utm_campaign=VOes7pUJ8eA&utm_content=description WATCH THIS NEXT The episode one week earlier, where we made the same case from the tool side, Obsidian is a shell and the folder is the system: https://youtu.be/WoH0KLkT9XY ABOUT THIS VIDEO When the myPKA folder became ICOR for Life inside Obsidian, a lot of people read it as a tool switch. It was not. Three things had been collapsed into one word, and this episode pulls them apart, with both of our systems open on screen. myPKA is the architectural concept behind the AI team: how AI works on a local folder, how it keeps persistent memory, and how Larry, Penn, Nolan and the other agents divide the work. That concept was there before the Obsidian edition and it has not changed. The course that explains it has been rebuilt from scratch with new video lessons. ICOR for Life is the implementation of the ICOR methodology, tool agnostic and end to end. It is the scaffold you download for free. It runs with Obsidian, and it runs without it. Obsidian is the front end. Paco lays out the three layers of an AI productivity system: the AI, which is a model on Anthropic's or OpenAI's servers; the local folder, which is markdown on your own disk and is not AI; and the front end, which is how you navigate that folder. Obsidian sits only in the third layer, and you can bet on any tool in any layer. The proof is on screen. Paco runs the same ICOR structure, My Life with goals, projects, habits and AI sessions, in a front end he coded himself, with a database where Tom has files and no Obsidian in it. Tom opens his real vault, shows the AI team folder after a year of Claude Code, then opens the same folder straight from disk and points his AI at it exactly as before, from a terminal, VS Code, the ChatGPT desktop app or Cowork. Also in this episode: the revamped ICOR courses with over 60 rebuilt lessons, member video uploads inside myICOR, why Claude and Codex differ on sub-agents, why we lean into Obsidian plugins instead of building a full-stack app, what happened to the terminal inside Obsidian, and why features now ship as isolated plugins. CHAPTERS 00:00 myPKA is the concept behind the AI team, not a tool 00:47 The confusion: the folder was renamed ICOR for Life, nobody switched tools 01:21 Membership update: revamped courses and member video uploads 02:58 Where myPKA lives, and the relaunched myPKA course 04:45 The myPKA concept never changed, Obsidian is an interface layer on top 05:57 Paco's three layers: the AI, the local folder, the front end 08:37 Obsidian is one front end, Paco coded his own, and it was never a move 10:31 Inside Tom's real vault: the AI team folder after a year of Claude Code 11:24 Larry, Nolan and skills, and Claude against Codex on sub-agents 13:27 Common ground: Obsidian is the front end, the folder is the back end 14:41 Not Obsidian-dependent: Paco's own front end, live 17:08 Why we lean into Obsidian instead of building a full-stack app 20:46 What happened to the terminal? The folder on disk, and the plugins 22:22 The tool is the interface hooking into your data, not a place you are stuck in 24:40 Wrap: the topic is exhausted, the new course, and the ICOR journey WHAT I AM USING Tom: Obsidian on the free ICOR for Life scaffold, with the same folder open from a terminal, VS Code or Cowork, Claude Code running on it, Obsidian Sync for the other devices and Time Machine for backups. Paco: the same ICOR structure in a front end he coded himself, with Claude behind it. You can download the folder for free here: https://www.myicor.com/?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=video&utm_campaign=VOes7pUJ8eA&utm_content=description The release video where the folder got its new name, and where the confusion started: https://youtu.be/GLO1voinujQ ABOUT Tom and Paco help professionals build AI productivity systems that work, using the ICOR Methodology, courses, coaching, and the myICOR community. LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tomsolid/ X: https://x.com/TomSolidPM Main channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC8qxhdxV0U2NQ9vinFffDJQ All third-party marks and logos shown are the property of their respective owners and are used for identification in editorial commentary only. No partnership or sponsorship is implied. #myPKA #ICOR #Obsidian #PKM #AIProductivity #claude #claudeai #chatgpt #codex
Key Insights
- myPKA is not a tool but a concept for how AI can interact with a local folder to build persistent memory, while ICOR for Life is the methodology layer that enables tool-agnostic implementation of productive systems
- The system comprises three independent layers—the AI/LLM layer (software from cloud providers), the local folder layer (markdown files stored locally), and the front-end interface layer (the application used to navigate)—allowing users to swap any layer without affecting others
- Obsidian was chosen as the recommended front-end not to force tool dependency but to prevent members from having to become software developers themselves, avoiding the costly pattern of members investing time and money into custom UI/UX coding
- Claude demonstrates superior proactive sub-agent orchestration with multiple levels of depth compared to CodeX, which requires explicit forcing and operates at only one level deep, though CodeX excels at creative tasks
- The true competitive advantage lies in the ICOR methodology's clear structure that helps AI understand user context, organization, agent instructions, and processes, preventing the system from going off-rails through well-defined boundaries and limitations
Topics
Transcript
[0:00] Those following us, they know about the my PKA folder as it was called in the past. My PKA stands for my personal knowledge assistance. And this is the architectural concept behind the AI team. So those who follow, they know about Larry and his team members that you were able to use. If you go now to the ICO for life scaffold that you can download and use with Obsidian, but also use with AI. And that's exactly what we will talk about today. These are the pre-installed agents that you have and these are still the same agents that we [0:33] had in the past. Larry the orchestrator who is delegating work to the others. Pen who…
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Obsidian Is the Surface. Here Is Where myPKA Fits.
The speakers clarify the architecture of their myPKA (Personal Knowledge Assistance) system, explaining how it consists of three independent layers: AI LLM services (Claude, ChatGPT), a local folder structure with markdown files, and a front-end interface (such as Obsidian). They emphasize that Obsidian is merely one optional tool for navigating the underlying system, not a replacement or lock-in, and demonstrate how the same core methodology can be implemented with different front-ends.
Obsidian is just a shell. Your knowledge folder is the real system.
Tom and Paco discuss how Obsidian is merely a shell for implementing the tool-agnostic iCore methodology, emphasizing that the underlying knowledge folder structure and methodology matter far more than any specific application. They introduce iCore for Life, a free Obsidian scaffold with custom plugins designed to help users understand and implement the productivity system's concepts and workflows.
Stop copying our AI setup. Copy how we think.
Tom and Paco discuss their different approaches to building AI-integrated productivity systems, emphasizing that the methodology (IICOR) should be implemented flexibly based on individual thinking styles and workflows rather than copied exactly. They showcase various visualization tools for managing deliverables, team knowledge, and work streams while stressing the importance of documentation and local folder structures over relying on external databases.