The case for an app like Readwise §

The problem they are trying to solve is indeed frustrating to me: highlighting content and never revisiting it. Their method of choice—namely, sending an email digest with the highlighted content—should work for me, provided I check my mailbox daily. However, I’m still not a subscriber, and the reason is a gut feeling.

This gut feeling is the same one that led me to write in plain text and store my information through a transparent and well-known process instead of relying on an external app that may or may not be around in a few years.

Dependency on another tool generates complexity and friction. The equation is relatively simple to formulate: if the value generated through the usage of a tool surpasses the increase in complexity, then it’s worth a shot. The difficult part is measuring the gained value and complexity. But this is one of those cases where the brain rapidly zeroes in on a solution, manifesting as a gut feeling. And it has served me well so far.

The thing is, I have many, many data silos in my life, and I want to tear down the walls between them.

Nevertheless, the question should be asked: why do I want to remember my highlights? What is a highlight?

I suppose the meaning attributed to a highlight differs greatly based on the reference point. For me, it’s a ‘wow! moment’ or a thought I found different enough to be worth highlighting, whether due to aesthetics, formulation, or a different spin on a message or statement.

What would help me see my highlights every day? I’ll definitely remember a book or post better. It gives me a new chance to iterate on a previous experience. I want those things; they are pain points for me.

The ideal solution would be an HMI so well integrated with the brain that regardless of the source or medium I’m consuming information from, it would be able to ingest the highlights.

Current State §

I read and highlight in the Kindle app, Zotero, Google Keep, on my PC, on my tablet, on my phone; and not to forget physical books and documents. There are simply so many sources, each with different formats of highlighting.

Currently, they simply stay isolated from each other. I tend to review my Google Keep notes now and then, archive the old ones, and consolidate stuff. I relied heavily on it for taking notes from podcasts at one time in my life. I don’t bookmark in the browser anymore; I just save the link in Keep.

I like the Kindle app and how it syncs between my phone and tablet. I wouldn’t want to get rid of it.

Reasoning §

There are many sources and media from which I consume information. Connecting to the API is sometimes infeasible (e.g., physical books) and requires external integration tools.

Maybe a highlight is not so important. I think what’s far more important is a summary of the whole block of highlights, convoluted with added insights from my side.

This is more important to register. And this can be done in a media-independent way. It involves a process after reading: digesting, compiling, or any name that conveys the act of sorting information and simplifying it for yourself.

The Actual Solution §

The solution is taking the time to digest information after ingesting a certain amount of it. Assuming I use this same textual+git system to realize this step, it can be done regardless of the device; as long as I have access to my phone, tablet, or computer, it can be done. This is a fair assumption.

In other words, it’s worth shifting the value from individual highlights to blocks of them, conflated with our individual life experiences. It is indeed the simplest solution: instead of integrating with every ever-increasing consuming media format, we just need to add this new process after consuming. The result is a live document where new experiences can be added whenever needed.

This solution, however, doesn’t solve the problem of recalling, which was neatly solved by Readwise through sending daily digests. Therefore, one tool I wouldn’t refuse subscribing to would be one that generates digests from markdown notes, aggregating them, and gently inviting a new review.