Published text

Structured research records

1. shida li · person-reference

   Original location · source-89d050ebcf36b1c87699 · source-279fc1baff6357150723 · source-e69892e981f07a7f7807 · source-b85a5ce5c9f6e04e0a22 · source-5bd931fb84ef4ce0cb43

   Original structured fields

   {
     "handle": "licat",
     "id": "shida",
     "name": "shida li",
     "note": "co-founder and cto. waterloo software engineering (2012–17, graduation unconfirmed), nokia imaging hackathon winner in 2013, then linkedin and dropbox. before obsidian he wrote minecraft plugins — orebfuscator and openinv — and built the sync and storage engines under dynalist and obsidian. the least public of the three: his philosophy is expressed architecturally, and his forum answers are the record.",
     "role": "co-founder",
     "sourceIds": [
       "src-p-linkedin-lishid",
       "src-p-github-lishid",
       "src-p-uw-news",
       "src-p-dynalist-makers",
       "src-p-forum-licat-json"
     ]
   }

2. erica xu · person-reference

   Original location · source-619493c83f564d46520c · source-ad60af43b049abcf279b · source-e25a7d763c6f986fbdff · source-eb86a2c3a1c8a2b919d6 · source-b85a5ce5c9f6e04e0a22

   Original structured fields

   {
     "handle": "silver",
     "id": "erica",
     "name": "erica xu",
     "note": "co-founder and the early product voice. met li at waterloo; ran community, design, and user-facing work while he did 'the hardcore engineering part.' wrote the closed-source rationale, named the product, coined 'ide for thought,' and seeded the forum herself — user #2, invited by licat. today she keeps silverland, a public obsidian publish garden.",
     "role": "co-founder",
     "sourceIds": [
       "src-p-linkedin-ericaxu",
       "src-p-nesslabs",
       "src-p-forum-silver-json",
       "src-p-silverland",
       "src-p-dynalist-makers"
     ]
   }

3. steph ango · person-reference

   Original location · source-8556550c9646f8e450ab · source-8868690a9b08a48f1cf0 · source-4b57914c546390a0274d · source-3c5d3f7d332f0b0b671c · source-3cfe4023b98147fec33a

   Original structured fields

   {
     "handle": "kepano",
     "id": "kepano",
     "name": "steph ango",
     "note": "ceo since february 6, 2023 — the hawaiianized form of stéphane. biology and industrial design at colorado college and artcenter; built inkodye (sun-developed dye), co-founded lumi (packaging, acquired by narvar in 2021), then wrote the most-installed obsidian theme on the side. he pitched the founders, not the reverse. ink & switch is an intellectual neighbor, not an employer — no evidence he worked there.",
     "role": "ceo",
     "sourceIds": [
       "src-p-stephango-about",
       "src-p-obsidian-ceo-blog",
       "src-p-linkedin-stephango",
       "src-p-decoder",
       "src-p-labj"
     ]
   }

4. liam cain · person-reference

   Original location · source-0304a5e9a769731d7275 · source-c71e6bc2b81bbba84a7c

   Original structured fields

   {
     "handle": null,
     "id": "liam",
     "name": "liam cain",
     "note": "the third member — joined the founders early and shows up in the 2021 obsidian october judging roster alongside mgmeyers and kepano.",
     "role": "team",
     "sourceIds": [
       "src-p-medium-francesco",
       "src-h-blog-oo-2021"
     ]
   }

5. johannes theiner · person-reference

   Original location · source-b5261159d2a5e23bbc07 · source-94b32f908d61f0c233ce

   Original structured fields

   {
     "handle": "joethei",
     "id": "joethei",
     "name": "johannes theiner",
     "note": "plugin reviewer and developer on the obsidian team since july 2022 — the human gate the community plugin queue passed through before the automated reviews.",
     "role": "team",
     "sourceIds": [
       "src-p-joethei-github",
       "src-p-joethei-linkedin"
     ]
   }

6. rebbecca bishop · person-reference

   Original location · source-aaf8ecf8493cfd9c588b · source-99256da6ebdc5f0aa4c2

   Original structured fields

   {
     "handle": "sigrunixia",
     "id": "sigrunixia",
     "name": "rebbecca bishop",
     "note": "customer experience specialist — docs and support, the person on the other end of the inbox.",
     "role": "team",
     "sourceIds": [
       "src-p-sigrunixia-github",
       "src-p-obsidian-credits"
     ]
   }

7. file over app · writing · 2023-07-01 (day)

   Original location · source-b19e384a8d9e6aa33803 · source-ed723c91f25d27831c58

   Original structured fields

   {
     "date": "2023-07-01",
     "id": "wrt-file-over-app",
     "kind": "essay",
     "person": "kepano",
     "quotes": [
       {
         "sourceId": "src-file-over-app",
         "text": "apps are ephemeral, but your files have a chance to last."
       },
       {
         "sourceId": "src-file-over-app",
         "text": "the file is the source of truth, not the application."
       }
     ],
     "sourceIds": [
       "src-file-over-app",
       "src-c-hn-file-over-app"
     ],
     "summary": "the three-word strategy — your files should outlive the app that edits them. the essay that turned obsidian's architecture into a philosophy and traveled far beyond the pkm world.",
     "themes": [
       "file over app",
       "longevity",
       "ownership and privacy"
     ],
     "title": "file over app",
     "traction": "the largest of ~15 hn submissions scored 56 points — canonical status out of proportion to traction; it spreads by citation.",
     "url": "https://stephango.com/file-over-app",
     "venue": "stephango.com"
   }

8. apps are ephemeral, but your files have a chance to last. · quotation · 2023-07-01 (day)

   Original location · source-b19e384a8d9e6aa33803

   Original structured fields

   {
     "sourceId": "src-file-over-app",
     "text": "apps are ephemeral, but your files have a chance to last."
   }

9. the file is the source of truth, not the application. · quotation · 2023-07-01 (day)

   Original location · source-b19e384a8d9e6aa33803

   Original structured fields

   {
     "sourceId": "src-file-over-app",
     "text": "the file is the source of truth, not the application."
   }

10. 100% user-supported · writing · 2024-02-10 (day)

    Original location · source-095e527a8564303e2b95 · source-5f8f933892a16f4722d3

    Original structured fields

    {
      "date": "2024-02-10",
      "id": "wrt-vcware",
      "kind": "essay",
      "person": "kepano",
      "quotes": [
        {
          "sourceId": "src-c-hn-vcware",
          "text": "file over app is more important than open source."
        }
      ],
      "sourceIds": [
        "src-p-vcware",
        "src-c-hn-vcware"
      ],
      "summary": "the anti-vc manifesto — why obsidian takes no investor money, and why a durable file format beats an open codebase when the incentives are wrong.",
      "themes": [
        "independence",
        "paying for software",
        "file over app"
      ],
      "title": "100% user-supported",
      "traction": "191 points on hacker news.",
      "url": "https://stephango.com/vcware",
      "venue": "stephango.com"
    }

11. file over app is more important than open source. · quotation · 2024-02-10 (day)

    Original location · source-5f8f933892a16f4722d3

    Original structured fields

    {
      "sourceId": "src-c-hn-vcware",
      "text": "file over app is more important than open source."
    }

12. quality software deserves your hard-earned cash · writing · 2023-10-27 (day)

    Original location · source-be0a3a36289b576ad79c · source-30ecfe312e10cbbf501d

    Original structured fields

    {
      "date": "2023-10-27",
      "id": "wrt-quality-software",
      "kind": "essay",
      "person": "kepano",
      "quotes": [
        {
          "sourceId": "src-p-quality-software",
          "text": "quality software deserves your hard-earned cash."
        }
      ],
      "sourceIds": [
        "src-p-quality-software",
        "src-c-hn-quality-36"
      ],
      "summary": "the case for paying independent developers — the economics essay the obsidian business model is built to deserve.",
      "themes": [
        "paying for software",
        "independence"
      ],
      "title": "quality software deserves your hard-earned cash",
      "traction": "only 36 points on hn — the virality was off-forum, through newsletters and docs citations.",
      "url": "https://stephango.com/quality-software",
      "venue": "stephango.com"
    }

13. quality software deserves your hard-earned cash. · quotation · 2023-10-27 (day)

    Original location · source-be0a3a36289b576ad79c

    Original structured fields

    {
      "sourceId": "src-p-quality-software",
      "text": "quality software deserves your hard-earned cash."
    }

14. calmness is a superpower · writing · 2022-10-09 (day)

    Original location · source-2f759d5e06ea5ec2fea7

    Original structured fields

    {
      "date": "2022-10-09",
      "id": "wrt-calmness",
      "kind": "essay",
      "person": "kepano",
      "quotes": [
        {
          "sourceId": "src-p-calmness",
          "text": "calmness is a foundation that you can build anything on top of."
        }
      ],
      "sourceIds": [
        "src-p-calmness"
      ],
      "summary": "calm software as an engineering and design value — the temperament obsidian's steady release cadence performs.",
      "themes": [
        "calm software",
        "simplicity"
      ],
      "title": "calmness is a superpower",
      "traction": null,
      "url": "https://stephango.com/calmness",
      "venue": "stephango.com"
    }

15. calmness is a foundation that you can build anything on top of. · quotation · 2022-10-09 (day)

    Original location · source-2f759d5e06ea5ec2fea7

    Original structured fields

    {
      "sourceId": "src-p-calmness",
      "text": "calmness is a foundation that you can build anything on top of."
    }

16. photoshop for text · writing · 2022-10-18 (day)

    Original location · source-d5431a4845a0a19fc004 · source-bb61878de083293ce8d1

    Original structured fields

    {
      "date": "2022-10-18",
      "id": "wrt-photoshop-for-text",
      "kind": "essay",
      "person": "kepano",
      "quotes": [
        {
          "sourceId": "src-p-photoshop-for-text",
          "text": "language models need to be local to the device so that they can be private, offline and future-proof."
        }
      ],
      "sourceIds": [
        "src-p-photoshop-for-text",
        "src-c-hn-photoshop"
      ],
      "summary": "local-llm text filters — 'synthscribing' prose the way photoshop filters images. the ambition essay that anticipated the local-ai argument obsidian now leans on.",
      "themes": [
        "ai and agency",
        "local-first",
        "tools for thought"
      ],
      "title": "photoshop for text",
      "traction": "183 points on hacker news.",
      "url": "https://stephango.com/photoshop-for-text",
      "venue": "stephango.com"
    }

17. language models need to be local to the device so that they can be private, offline and future-proof. · quotation · 2022-10-18 (day)

    Original location · source-d5431a4845a0a19fc004

    Original structured fields

    {
      "sourceId": "src-p-photoshop-for-text",
      "text": "language models need to be local to the device so that they can be private, offline and future-proof."
    }

18. a camera for ideas · writing · 2022-07-23 (day)

    Original location · source-b29c820fd253c87c697f

    Original structured fields

    {
      "date": "2022-07-23",
      "id": "wrt-synthography",
      "kind": "essay",
      "person": "kepano",
      "quotes": [],
      "sourceIds": [
        "src-p-synthography"
      ],
      "summary": "the essay that coined 'synthography' — synthetic images as photography for ideas.",
      "themes": [
        "ai and agency",
        "tools for thought"
      ],
      "title": "a camera for ideas",
      "traction": null,
      "url": "https://stephango.com/synthography",
      "venue": "stephango.com"
    }

19. use the saw, fear the saw · writing · 2025-10-20 (day)

    Original location · source-28a31586140c079cc932

    Original structured fields

    {
      "date": "2025-10-20",
      "id": "wrt-saw",
      "kind": "essay",
      "person": "kepano",
      "quotes": [],
      "sourceIds": [
        "src-p-saw"
      ],
      "summary": "the powerful-tools stance applied to ai — use the saw, fear the saw. capability and caution held together.",
      "themes": [
        "ai and agency",
        "craft and constraint"
      ],
      "title": "use the saw, fear the saw",
      "traction": null,
      "url": "https://stephango.com/saw",
      "venue": "stephango.com"
    }

20. if you're remote, ramble · writing · 2025-07-31 (day)

    Original location · source-4574ee8eedf26d064232 · source-0782f5a6d52e52392482

    Original structured fields

    {
      "date": "2025-07-31",
      "id": "wrt-ramblings",
      "kind": "essay",
      "person": "kepano",
      "quotes": [],
      "sourceIds": [
        "src-p-ramblings",
        "src-c-hn-ramble"
      ],
      "summary": "obsidian's no-meetings remote culture — long unstructured 'rambles' instead of scheduled calls.",
      "themes": [
        "calm software",
        "independence"
      ],
      "title": "if you're remote, ramble",
      "traction": "976 points, 464 comments — kepano's biggest hacker news hit, bigger than any obsidian product post that year.",
      "url": "https://stephango.com/ramblings",
      "venue": "stephango.com"
    }

21. evergreen notes turn ideas into objects · writing · 2022-09-17 (day)

    Original location · source-bcbaf69d2ee2f05687c8

    Original structured fields

    {
      "date": "2022-09-17",
      "id": "wrt-evergreen-notes",
      "kind": "essay",
      "person": "kepano",
      "quotes": [],
      "sourceIds": [
        "src-p-evergreen-notes"
      ],
      "summary": "the matuschak-derived pitch for evergreen notes — ideas as objects that accumulate.",
      "themes": [
        "tools for thought",
        "longevity"
      ],
      "title": "evergreen notes turn ideas into objects",
      "traction": null,
      "url": "https://stephango.com/evergreen-notes",
      "venue": "stephango.com"
    }

22. in good hands · writing · 2023-08-07 (day)

    Original location · source-6e62d05d441727431464

    Original structured fields

    {
      "date": "2023-08-07",
      "id": "wrt-in-good-hands",
      "kind": "essay",
      "person": "kepano",
      "quotes": [],
      "sourceIds": [
        "src-p-in-good-hands"
      ],
      "summary": "omakase trust in software — letting a tool's maker cook, and what a user is owed in return.",
      "themes": [
        "craft and constraint",
        "calm software"
      ],
      "title": "in good hands",
      "traction": null,
      "url": "https://stephango.com/in-good-hands",
      "venue": "stephango.com"
    }

23. style is consistent constraint · writing · 2023-09-03 (day)

    Original location · source-58d105f03ecd2d5f0ba2

    Original structured fields

    {
      "date": "2023-09-03",
      "id": "wrt-style",
      "kind": "essay",
      "person": "kepano",
      "quotes": [],
      "sourceIds": [
        "src-p-style"
      ],
      "summary": "his personal rules list — style as the residue of consistent constraint, the design principle behind minimal and flexoki.",
      "themes": [
        "craft and constraint",
        "simplicity"
      ],
      "title": "style is consistent constraint",
      "traction": null,
      "url": "https://stephango.com/style",
      "venue": "stephango.com"
    }

24. how i use obsidian · writing · 2023-09 (month)

    Original location · source-65719f8b2af99911d3b0 · source-85b84c9361ccb454e771 · source-e35a845e770e2004bc4e

    Original structured fields

    {
      "date": "2023-09",
      "id": "wrt-vault",
      "kind": "document",
      "person": "kepano",
      "quotes": [],
      "sourceIds": [
        "src-p-vault",
        "src-c-hn-kepano-vault",
        "src-c-yt-karlos-ceo"
      ],
      "summary": "the ceo shows his vault — a fractal journaling template that looks nothing like the influencer setups. the most-cited 'how the ceo takes notes' document.",
      "themes": [
        "simplicity",
        "tools for thought"
      ],
      "title": "how i use obsidian",
      "traction": "203 points on hn; a 526k-view youtube retelling.",
      "url": "https://stephango.com/vault",
      "venue": "stephango.com"
    }

25. 40 questions to ask yourself every year · writing · 2016-10-20 (day)

    Original location · source-d29d37b1426def12688c

    Original structured fields

    {
      "date": "2016-10-20",
      "id": "wrt-40-questions",
      "kind": "essay",
      "person": "kepano",
      "quotes": [],
      "sourceIds": [
        "src-p-40-questions"
      ],
      "summary": "metafilter-inspired annual self-interview — translated by readers into 35 languages.",
      "themes": [
        "tools for thought"
      ],
      "title": "40 questions to ask yourself every year",
      "traction": "community-translated into ~35 languages.",
      "url": "https://stephango.com/40-questions",
      "venue": "stephango.com"
    }

26. i'm joining obsidian full-time as ceo · writing · 2023-02-06 (day)

    Original location · source-8868690a9b08a48f1cf0 · source-dac8e48d156a2e5a4931

    Original structured fields

    {
      "date": "2023-02-06",
      "id": "wrt-ceo-letter",
      "kind": "post",
      "person": "kepano",
      "quotes": [
        {
          "sourceId": "src-p-obsidian-ceo-blog",
          "text": "there are no investors pushing us to compromise on these values."
        }
      ],
      "sourceIds": [
        "src-p-obsidian-ceo-blog",
        "src-p-forum-ceo-thread"
      ],
      "summary": "the ceo letter — a theme author and user pitches the founders rather than the reverse, and the company gains its public voice.",
      "themes": [
        "independence",
        "the ecosystem"
      ],
      "title": "i'm joining obsidian full-time as ceo",
      "traction": "the forum thread became a community celebration.",
      "url": "https://obsidian.md/blog/kepano-ceo/",
      "venue": "obsidian.md"
    }

27. there are no investors pushing us to compromise on these values. · quotation · 2023-02-06 (day)

    Original location · source-8868690a9b08a48f1cf0

    Original structured fields

    {
      "sourceId": "src-p-obsidian-ceo-blog",
      "text": "there are no investors pushing us to compromise on these values."
    }

28. the new obsidian icon · writing · 2023-06-01 (day)

    Original location · source-b254c7e6ee5dd435d37d

    Original structured fields

    {
      "date": "2023-06-01",
      "id": "wrt-new-icon",
      "kind": "post",
      "person": "kepano",
      "quotes": [],
      "sourceIds": [
        "src-p-obsidian-icon-blog"
      ],
      "summary": "his first company byline — the gem icon, the knapping metaphor, and the first official stats.",
      "themes": [
        "craft and constraint"
      ],
      "title": "the new obsidian icon",
      "traction": null,
      "url": "https://obsidian.md/blog/new-obsidian-icon/",
      "venue": "obsidian.md"
    }

29. how the head of obsidian went from superfan to ceo · writing · 2025-08-18 (day)

    Original location · source-3c5d3f7d332f0b0b671c

    Original structured fields

    {
      "date": "2025-08-18",
      "id": "wrt-decoder",
      "kind": "interview",
      "person": "kepano",
      "quotes": [],
      "sourceIds": [
        "src-p-decoder"
      ],
      "summary": "the nilay patel show, guest-hosted by casey newton — how a superfan became ceo, and the full transcript of the obsidian thesis.",
      "themes": [
        "independence",
        "the ecosystem"
      ],
      "title": "how the head of obsidian went from superfan to ceo",
      "traction": "the biggest mainstream interview obsidian's ceo has given.",
      "url": "https://www.theverge.com/decoder-podcast-with-nilay-patel/760522/",
      "venue": "the verge / decoder"
    }

30. evergreen notes with stephan ango (metamuse ep. 81) · writing · 2023 (year)

    Original location · source-5e83ede433effda2671e

    Original structured fields

    {
      "date": "2023",
      "id": "wrt-metamuse",
      "kind": "podcast",
      "person": "kepano",
      "quotes": [],
      "sourceIds": [
        "src-p-metamuse"
      ],
      "summary": "evergreen notes on the muse podcast — team of six full-time, and the admission that 'tools for thought' as a label rubs him wrong.",
      "themes": [
        "tools for thought",
        "calm software"
      ],
      "title": "evergreen notes with stephan ango (metamuse ep. 81)",
      "traction": null,
      "url": "https://museapp.com/podcast/81-evergreen-notes/",
      "venue": "metamuse"
    }

31. tools for amplifying our light (dialectic ep. 8) · writing · 2025 (year)

    Original location · source-e15ae6171473360e6649

    Original structured fields

    {
      "date": "2025",
      "id": "wrt-dialectic",
      "kind": "podcast",
      "person": "kepano",
      "quotes": [],
      "sourceIds": [
        "src-p-dialectic"
      ],
      "summary": "the long-form biography interview — inkodye, lumi, narvar, obsidian, and the light-amplifying frame.",
      "themes": [
        "independence",
        "tools for thought"
      ],
      "title": "tools for amplifying our light (dialectic ep. 8)",
      "traction": null,
      "url": "https://jacksondahl.com/dialectic/steph-ango",
      "venue": "dialectic"
    }

32. the other stuff #28 — kepano · writing · 2025 (year)

    Original location · source-09b4bb67ed57961c68ca

    Original structured fields

    {
      "date": "2025",
      "id": "wrt-other-stuff",
      "kind": "interview",
      "person": "kepano",
      "quotes": [],
      "sourceIds": [
        "src-p-other-stuff"
      ],
      "summary": "the name origin — kepano is hawaiianized stéphane — plus kepiano, furniture, and the cookie recipe.",
      "themes": [
        "craft and constraint"
      ],
      "title": "the other stuff #28 — kepano",
      "traction": null,
      "url": "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J8vec3BuOnk",
      "venue": "internetvin / youtube"
    }

33. fireside chat with @kepano · writing · 2023 (year)

    Original location · source-59e61e77b89d0d0673bf

    Original structured fields

    {
      "date": "2023",
      "id": "wrt-lyt-fireside",
      "kind": "interview",
      "person": "kepano",
      "quotes": [],
      "sourceIds": [
        "src-p-lyt-fireside"
      ],
      "summary": "nick milo's fireside chat — team vaults and shared defaults inside the company.",
      "themes": [
        "the ecosystem",
        "tools for thought"
      ],
      "title": "fireside chat with @kepano",
      "traction": null,
      "url": "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i8SWe0YrVWI",
      "venue": "linking your thinking"
    }

34. the future of obsidian (fork my brain) · writing · 2023 (year)

    Original location · source-dd19b706cd49ff90f5b9

    Original structured fields

    {
      "date": "2023",
      "id": "wrt-forkmybrain",
      "kind": "interview",
      "person": "kepano",
      "quotes": [],
      "sourceIds": [
        "src-p-forkmybrain"
      ],
      "summary": "nicole van der hoeven's livestream on the future of obsidian — with her published prep notes.",
      "themes": [
        "the ecosystem"
      ],
      "title": "the future of obsidian (fork my brain)",
      "traction": null,
      "url": "https://www.youtube.com/live/TkNTuFF2t-c",
      "venue": "fork my brain"
    }

35. future commerce interview · writing · 2021 (year)

    Original location · source-3ce3b34176c6c521c546

    Original structured fields

    {
      "date": "2021",
      "id": "wrt-future-commerce",
      "kind": "podcast",
      "person": "kepano",
      "quotes": [],
      "sourceIds": [
        "src-p-future-commerce"
      ],
      "summary": "the lumi-era interview — well made, slash packaging, and the dtc supply chain before obsidian.",
      "themes": [
        "craft and constraint",
        "independence"
      ],
      "title": "future commerce interview",
      "traction": null,
      "url": "https://futurecommerce.fm/podcasts/",
      "venue": "future commerce"
    }

36. new disruptors ep. 101 — shipping is violence · writing · 2018 (year)

    Original location · source-d2b3a5721d2f6b86319c

    Original structured fields

    {
      "date": "2018",
      "id": "wrt-shipping-is-violence",
      "kind": "podcast",
      "person": "kepano",
      "quotes": [],
      "sourceIds": [
        "src-p-new-disruptors-2018"
      ],
      "summary": "'shipping is violence' — the lumi episode on what physical logistics do to software people.",
      "themes": [
        "craft and constraint"
      ],
      "title": "new disruptors ep. 101 — shipping is violence",
      "traction": null,
      "url": "https://newdisrupt.org/blog/2018/9/27/episode-101-shipping-is-violence",
      "venue": "new disruptors"
    }

37. giant robots ep. 286 · writing · 2018 (year)

    Original location · source-5ae90992796a8798c3cd

    Original structured fields

    {
      "date": "2018",
      "id": "wrt-giant-robots",
      "kind": "podcast",
      "person": "kepano",
      "quotes": [],
      "sourceIds": [
        "src-p-giant-robots"
      ],
      "summary": "the thoughtbot podcast — lumi's stack and why he was writing purescript for a packaging company.",
      "themes": [
        "craft and constraint"
      ],
      "title": "giant robots ep. 286",
      "traction": null,
      "url": "https://giantrobots.fm/286",
      "venue": "thoughtbot"
    }

38. why we should return to a local-first culture · writing · n.d. (unknown)

    Original location · source-2fdd9b1d3716741883fe

    Original structured fields

    {
      "date": "n.d.",
      "id": "wrt-localfirst-video",
      "kind": "talk",
      "person": "kepano",
      "quotes": [],
      "sourceIds": [
        "src-p-localfirst-video"
      ],
      "summary": "the japan riff — why the oldest companies on earth are local-first in spirit, and what software lost.",
      "themes": [
        "local-first",
        "longevity"
      ],
      "title": "why we should return to a local-first culture",
      "traction": null,
      "url": "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I-RLzZRaCq0",
      "venue": "youtube"
    }

39. exploring the power of note-making (ness labs) · writing · 2021 (year)

    Original location · source-ad60af43b049abcf279b

    Original structured fields

    {
      "date": "2021",
      "id": "wrt-nesslabs",
      "kind": "interview",
      "person": "erica",
      "quotes": [
        {
          "sourceId": "src-p-nesslabs",
          "text": "obsidian is the ide for thought."
        },
        {
          "sourceId": "src-p-nesslabs",
          "text": "the extensibility of code editors inspired us."
        },
        {
          "sourceId": "src-p-nesslabs",
          "text": "in a way, this verifies that no matter how weird you are, there might be millions out there who are just like you!"
        }
      ],
      "sourceIds": [
        "src-p-nesslabs"
      ],
      "summary": "the definitive erica xu interview — the product's origins, the code-editor inspiration, and the scratch-your-own-itch universality argument.",
      "themes": [
        "tools for thought",
        "the ecosystem",
        "simplicity"
      ],
      "title": "exploring the power of note-making (ness labs)",
      "traction": "the canonical founder interview — later translated for the zh forum.",
      "url": "https://nesslabs.com/obsidian-featured-tool",
      "venue": "ness labs"
    }

40. obsidian is the ide for thought. · quotation · 2021 (year)

    Original location · source-ad60af43b049abcf279b

    Original structured fields

    {
      "sourceId": "src-p-nesslabs",
      "text": "obsidian is the ide for thought."
    }

41. the extensibility of code editors inspired us. · quotation · 2021 (year)

    Original location · source-ad60af43b049abcf279b

    Original structured fields

    {
      "sourceId": "src-p-nesslabs",
      "text": "the extensibility of code editors inspired us."
    }

42. in a way, this verifies that no matter how weird you are, there might be millions out there who are just like you! · quotation · 2021 (year)

    Original location · source-ad60af43b049abcf279b

    Original structured fields

    {
      "sourceId": "src-p-nesslabs",
      "text": "in a way, this verifies that no matter how weird you are, there might be millions out there who are just like you!"
    }

43. open sourcing of obsidian (forum answer) · writing · 2020-08-04 (day)

    Original location · source-b826680bb6318325445b · source-4b8d86e6ed928570908f

    Original structured fields

    {
      "date": "2020-08-04",
      "id": "wrt-open-sourcing",
      "kind": "post",
      "person": "erica",
      "quotes": [],
      "sourceIds": [
        "src-p-forum-open-source",
        "src-p-obsidian-rocks"
      ],
      "summary": "the four-point closed-source rationale — a small team, plugin freedom over sandboxing, and file-format openness as the answer to lock-in fears.",
      "themes": [
        "ownership and privacy",
        "independence",
        "the ecosystem"
      ],
      "title": "open sourcing of obsidian (forum answer)",
      "traction": "the post every open-source debate cites.",
      "url": "https://forum.obsidian.md/t/1515",
      "venue": "obsidian forum"
    }

44. why is obsidian named so? · writing · 2020-08-27 (day)

    Original location · source-eeae61db6ec47eb544cf

    Original structured fields

    {
      "date": "2020-08-27",
      "id": "wrt-name-origin",
      "kind": "post",
      "person": "erica",
      "quotes": [
        {
          "sourceId": "src-p-forum-name-origin",
          "text": "if your raw, unstable thoughts are lava, then obsidian is… well, obsidian. it is your crystallized (and beautiful) knowledge."
        }
      ],
      "sourceIds": [
        "src-p-forum-name-origin"
      ],
      "summary": "the canonical name explanation — molten thought cooled into glass, plus minecraft's hardest block.",
      "themes": [
        "craft and constraint"
      ],
      "title": "why is obsidian named so?",
      "traction": null,
      "url": "https://forum.obsidian.md/t/4837",
      "venue": "obsidian forum"
    }

45. if your raw, unstable thoughts are lava, then obsidian is… well, obsidian. it is your crystallized (and beautiful) knowledge. · quotation · 2020-08-27 (day)

    Original location · source-eeae61db6ec47eb544cf

    Original structured fields

    {
      "sourceId": "src-p-forum-name-origin",
      "text": "if your raw, unstable thoughts are lava, then obsidian is… well, obsidian. it is your crystallized (and beautiful) knowledge."
    }

46. last chance to get early bird discount · writing · 2021-07-01 (day)

    Original location · source-45ad7e2d3280f317c0d4

    Original structured fields

    {
      "date": "2021-07-01",
      "id": "wrt-early-bird",
      "kind": "post",
      "person": "erica",
      "quotes": [],
      "sourceIds": [
        "src-h-blog-early-bird"
      ],
      "summary": "the early-bird wind-down — and in the same breath, honest guidance to free alternatives like icloud and git. the pricing post as a trust instrument.",
      "themes": [
        "paying for software",
        "independence"
      ],
      "title": "last chance to get early bird discount",
      "traction": null,
      "url": "https://obsidian.md/blog/last-chance-to-get-early-bird/",
      "venue": "obsidian.md"
    }

47. live preview update · writing · 2021-12-15 (day)

    Original location · source-0eb415d16a01be908584

    Original structured fields

    {
      "date": "2021-12-15",
      "id": "wrt-live-preview",
      "kind": "post",
      "person": "erica",
      "quotes": [],
      "sourceIds": [
        "src-p-obsidian-blog-livepreview"
      ],
      "summary": "the live preview update — the biggest editor change in the product's history, in her voice.",
      "themes": [
        "the ecosystem",
        "tools for thought"
      ],
      "title": "live preview update",
      "traction": null,
      "url": "https://obsidian.md/blog/live-preview-update/",
      "venue": "obsidian.md"
    }

48. on understanding · writing · 2025-06-12 (day)

    Original location · source-d55f8c8a39dbc657834f

    Original structured fields

    {
      "date": "2025-06-12",
      "id": "wrt-on-understanding",
      "kind": "essay",
      "person": "erica",
      "quotes": [
        {
          "sourceId": "src-p-silverland-understanding",
          "text": "understanding cannot be transmitted through words."
        }
      ],
      "sourceIds": [
        "src-p-silverland-understanding"
      ],
      "summary": "the feynman-influenced epistemics essay on silverland — life as a game of predict.",
      "themes": [
        "tools for thought"
      ],
      "title": "on understanding",
      "traction": null,
      "url": "https://ericaxu.com/Articles/On+Understanding",
      "venue": "silverland"
    }

49. understanding cannot be transmitted through words. · quotation · 2025-06-12 (day)

    Original location · source-d55f8c8a39dbc657834f

    Original structured fields

    {
      "sourceId": "src-p-silverland-understanding",
      "text": "understanding cannot be transmitted through words."
    }

50. start here — silverland · writing · current (approximate)

    Original location · source-eb86a2c3a1c8a2b919d6 · source-5d0e1dbf10e1fabb3fb6

    Original structured fields

    {
      "date": "current",
      "id": "wrt-silverland-start",
      "kind": "document",
      "person": "erica",
      "quotes": [
        {
          "sourceId": "src-p-silverland",
          "text": "public education was formed to produce obedient factory workers, and that tradition stuck. it's time to think for ourselves again."
        }
      ],
      "sourceIds": [
        "src-p-silverland",
        "src-p-silverland-howithink"
      ],
      "summary": "her public obsidian publish garden — the education critique, the pattern-and-forces worldview, 172 of 1000 dishes cooked.",
      "themes": [
        "tools for thought",
        "independence"
      ],
      "title": "start here — silverland",
      "traction": null,
      "url": "https://ericaxu.com/Start+here",
      "venue": "silverland"
    }

51. public education was formed to produce obedient factory workers, and that tradition stuck. it's time to think for ourselves again. · quotation · current (approximate)

    Original location · source-eb86a2c3a1c8a2b919d6

    Original structured fields

    {
      "sourceId": "src-p-silverland",
      "text": "public education was formed to produce obedient factory workers, and that tradition stuck. it's time to think for ourselves again."
    }

52. about the makers (dynalist forum) · writing · 2016-11 (month)

    Original location · source-b85a5ce5c9f6e04e0a22

    Original structured fields

    {
      "date": "2016-11",
      "id": "wrt-dynalist-makers",
      "kind": "post",
      "person": "shida",
      "quotes": [
        {
          "sourceId": "src-p-dynalist-makers",
          "text": "erica leads our design efforts as well as most of our user-facing work."
        }
      ],
      "sourceIds": [
        "src-p-dynalist-makers"
      ],
      "summary": "the autobiographical forum post — the waterloo years, the craft split, and why dynalist existed.",
      "themes": [
        "independence"
      ],
      "title": "about the makers (dynalist forum)",
      "traction": null,
      "url": "https://talk.dynalist.io/t/about-the-makers/98",
      "venue": "dynalist forum"
    }

53. erica leads our design efforts as well as most of our user-facing work. · quotation · 2016-11 (month)

    Original location · source-b85a5ce5c9f6e04e0a22

    Original structured fields

    {
      "sourceId": "src-p-dynalist-makers",
      "text": "erica leads our design efforts as well as most of our user-facing work."
    }

54. the plugin-security answer (forum) · writing · 2020-10 (month)

    Original location · source-17d2a93d012ecd426afd

    Original structured fields

    {
      "date": "2020-10",
      "id": "wrt-plugin-security",
      "kind": "post",
      "person": "shida",
      "quotes": [
        {
          "sourceId": "src-p-forum-licat-search",
          "text": "there is absolutely no secure way to run plugins without severely crippling the plugin api."
        }
      ],
      "sourceIds": [
        "src-p-forum-licat-search"
      ],
      "summary": "the engineering posture behind the whole trust model — plugin power over sandboxing, stated before the first controversy ever arrived.",
      "themes": [
        "the ecosystem",
        "ownership and privacy"
      ],
      "title": "the plugin-security answer (forum)",
      "traction": "resurrected on hn in 2025 as the trust model's founding document.",
      "url": "https://forum.obsidian.md/search.json?q=%40Licat",
      "venue": "obsidian forum"
    }

55. there is absolutely no secure way to run plugins without severely crippling the plugin api. · quotation · 2020-10 (month)

    Original location · source-17d2a93d012ecd426afd

    Original structured fields

    {
      "sourceId": "src-p-forum-licat-search",
      "text": "there is absolutely no secure way to run plugins without severely crippling the plugin api."
    }

56. the august 2024 outage postmortem · writing · 2024-08-24 (day)

    Original location · source-b24d2626c7ab2c61a44e

    Original structured fields

    {
      "date": "2024-08-24",
      "id": "wrt-outage-postmortem",
      "kind": "post",
      "person": "shida",
      "quotes": [],
      "sourceIds": [
        "src-h-lemmy-outage"
      ],
      "summary": "the five-hour outage postmortem, posted in discord — a forced reboot plus a misconfigured auto-restart took sync, publish, login, and signup down together.",
      "themes": [
        "the ecosystem"
      ],
      "title": "the august 2024 outage postmortem",
      "traction": "survives only via a lemmy mirror — discord history is not durable.",
      "url": "https://blorp.ani.social/home/posts/https%3A%2F%2Fdiscuss.tchncs.de%2Fpost%2F20931466",
      "venue": "discord via lemmy"
    }

57. file over app · theme

    Original location

    Original structured fields

    {
      "text": "file over app"
    }

58. local-first · theme

    Original location

    Original structured fields

    {
      "text": "local-first"
    }

59. longevity · theme

    Original location

    Original structured fields

    {
      "text": "longevity"
    }

60. ownership and privacy · theme

    Original location

    Original structured fields

    {
      "text": "ownership and privacy"
    }

61. calm software · theme

    Original location

    Original structured fields

    {
      "text": "calm software"
    }

62. paying for software · theme

    Original location

    Original structured fields

    {
      "text": "paying for software"
    }

63. tools for thought · theme

    Original location

    Original structured fields

    {
      "text": "tools for thought"
    }

64. the ecosystem · theme

    Original location

    Original structured fields

    {
      "text": "the ecosystem"
    }

65. independence · theme

    Original location

    Original structured fields

    {
      "text": "independence"
    }

66. craft and constraint · theme

    Original location

    Original structured fields

    {
      "text": "craft and constraint"
    }

67. ai and agency · theme

    Original location

    Original structured fields

    {
      "text": "ai and agency"
    }

68. simplicity · theme

    Original location

    Original structured fields

    {
      "text": "simplicity"
    }