What makes Super Brain OS unique from the countless Second Brain templates on the market, is not just the unique structure and improvements over the Second Brain, but also the mind-boggling number of relations between databases.
This tool is the product of realizing that the relations between databases is what makes Notion so incredibly powerful. The human brain makes meaning by associating data with other data. In Notion, we can do that too.
How to Associate Data, like a Brain
In most Notion databases, people will use a single or multi-select field to add categories or tags. However, by creating a database called “Tags” and using it as a relation field instead, we open up amazing new possibilities.
Say you have two databases, and in each of them you want to have a column to add a tag. If you were to do it the way most people do, you would add a multi-select field in each database. However, you’ll quickly learn that the item tagged with “marketing” in one database is not connected to the one in the other database also tagged “Marketing” or “marketing.” This means that when you want to review everything you’ve collected about “marketing” you have your work cut out for you.
By contrast, if instead you associate a Tags database with each of those databases, you could go to your Tags database, and see everything that a tag is connected to.
So, Super Brain OS takes that single insight, and expands it across the entire system.
In Super Brain, something as simple as “Location” can should you everything in your Super Brain about that location. This includes: people, companies, clients, dining, points of interest, lodging, and travel plans.
Go one step more, and follow the location to the dining database, and you’ll find links to your restaurant reviews, dishes you liked, reservations you’ve made, food tags, and people who work at the restaurant.
Every database is connected to other databases, allowing you to link information — just like your brain does.
We have two methods of putting information at your fingertips.
- Database Tabs
- BRE (Backlink Relational Embeds)
What are Database Tabs?
Notion gives you the ability to customize the layout of the pages inside of a database. One of those customizations introduces a tabbed section at the top of the database entry.
This creates a simple and clean way to flip between related information. In the SuperBrain OS, these tabs are contextual to each database so that the information you have quick access to is relevant to the database you are in. In most cases, this will include a link to your Notes database so that you can see any notes related to the database entry, and add notes that will be automatically be associated with the database entry you are in.
What is a BRE?
BRE (Backlink Relational Embed) is the term we came up with to represent the feature of embedding a database view inside of a database entry to show you everything that a database entry is connected to but without using the tabbed view.
When you go into a database entry, you may see a table like the one below. This tabbed table is what we call a BRE. It is an embedded database view that shows all of the backlinks and relations to a particular database entry.
In the above example, the database entry for “Notion” in the Tags database is setup to show all of the databases where the tag “Notion” has been added. This is done at the database template level and is automatically added for each new entry.
So, if you wanted to go and see everything tagged Notion, you could now, in one place see all of the notes, master notes, articles, books, swipe file entries, useful tools, code snippets, content, and SOPs tagged with “Notion.”
Whenever you add a new relationship between databases and want it to show in the BRE, all you have to do is go into the database template, and add a new view with the new relation. Then, simply delete everything in the database entry and apply the updated template, and all of the relations will populate.
