Obsidian Starter Kit

The Obsidian Starter Kit is a comprehensive, pre-configured knowledge management system created by Sébastien Dubois. It transforms Obsidian into a complete productivity and learning environment by providing a battle-tested framework, templates, folder structure, plugin recommendations, and education—designed to help users establish organized, scalable personal knowledge management in approximately 30 minutes.

Creator

Sébastien Dubois created the Obsidian Starter Kit after 20+ years of research and experimentation in information and knowledge management. As a knowledge worker, author, blogger, entrepreneur, and IT Solution Architect, he distilled his experience into a comprehensive system that solves common PKM challenges.

Target Audience

Ideal for:

• People new to note-taking or switching to Obsidian
• Individuals wanting to learn better and retain more information
• Users seeking proper note organization without overwhelming complexity
• Knowledge workers building a “second brain”
• Students and PhD researchers
• Content creators and writers
• Anyone attempting PKM without prior experience

Core Components

Pre-Configured Vault

• Ready-to-use Obsidian vault
• Folder structure based on the Johnny Decimal system
• Pre-installed plugin recommendations
• Templates for all note types
• Icon system for visual note recognition

Knowledge Management Systems

Atomic Note-Taking:

• Zettelkasten methodology for atomic notes
• PARA method (Projects, Areas, Resources, Archive)
• Note Type Classes with Metadata (strong typing with tags, fields, values)
• Dot System for organizing atomic knowledge

Learning & Reading:

• Learning system for capturing insights from books and courses
• Books and reading system with progress tracking
• Source management for articles, videos, podcasts
• Reading list with metadata and status

People & Relationships:

• People system for managing contacts
• Relationship tracking and context preservation
• Network mapping capabilities

Content Systems:

• Content curation system for processing information
• Content creation system for publishing articles, newsletters, books
• Writing templates and style preservation
• AI-ready content draft integration

Action & Organization:

• Complete action system connecting goals to daily tasks
• Goals → Plans → Projects → Tasks with automatic linking
• Meeting notes with structured templates and auto-filing
• Journaling with templates and periodic reviews
• Health & habits tracking (mood, energy, sleep, exercise, nutrition)

Educational Resources

• 100+ page comprehensive user guide
• 3-hour technical deep dive video (for v3)
• Video tutorials for implementation
• Free workshop on PKM implementation
• Theoretical foundations and practical applications

Version 3 Features

The latest version (v3) represents a major update:

AI Integration

• AI-Ready from Day One — Integration with Claude Code, MCP, and other AI tools
• AI-Accessible Knowledge Base — Entire vault accessible to AI instantly
• AI Content Creation — AI can draft articles based on vault notes or replicate your writing style
• Structured for LLMs — Strong metadata typing optimizes for AI processing

System Improvements

• Clearly Defined Note Types — Strong typing with specific tags, fields, values for each category
• Migration Guides — Step-by-step from v2 or custom setups
• Enhanced Templates — Refined and optimized for current use patterns
• Better Integration — Improved connections between systems

Metadata & Typing

• Every note has defined type, tags, and structured fields
• Boolean flags for status tracking
• Relationship fields for connections
• Searchable, filterable organization

Key Benefits

Time Savings

• Establish battle-tested system in ~30 minutes (vs. weeks of trial-and-error)
• Pre-configured plugins and settings
• Ready-to-use templates eliminate setup friction

Proven Approach

• Based on 20+ years of research and experimentation
• Battle-tested daily use by creator
• Hundreds of users validating effectiveness
• Integrated periodic reviews and journaling

Reduced Friction

• Decision fatigue eliminated through pre-made structures
• Clear guidelines for each note type
• Automatic linking and organization
• Visual recognition through icons

Knowledge Leverage

• Multiple ways to access and organize information
• Connections and relationships preserved
• AI-accessible structure for augmented capabilities
• Scalable as knowledge base grows

Learning Integration

• Systematic capture from reading and courses
• Spaced repetition support
• Periodic review system built-in
• Retention optimization

Included Systems

System	Purpose	Key Features
Zettelkasten	Atomic note-taking	Unique IDs, atomic thinking, link-based
PARA	High-level organization	Projects, Areas, Resources, Archive
Johnny Decimal	Folder structure	Hierarchical, numbered organization
GTD	Task management	Goals, plans, projects, tasks
Reading System	Learning capture	Books, articles, progress tracking
Journaling	Reflection	Daily, weekly, monthly prompts
People System	Relationships	Contacts, context, connections
Health Tracking	Wellness	Mood, energy, sleep, exercise, nutrition

Pricing & Access

• Price: €129-€199 (varies by package/offerings)
• Access: Lifetime access to all future updates
• Distribution: Sold on Gumroad
• Free Option: Basic free version available to get started
• Community: Lifetime access to Personal Knowledge Management community

Vault Structure

The starter kit uses a hierarchically organized vault:

Obsidian Vault  
├── 10-19: People  
├── 20-29: Knowledge (Zettelkasten)  
├── 30-39: Tasks & Actions  
├── 40-49: Reading & Learning  
├── 50-59: Projects  
├── 60-69: Areas  
├── 70-79: Archive  
├── 80-89: Resources  
└── Templates/  

Each section has clear purpose and typing rules.

Plugins Recommended

The kit includes curated plugin recommendations for:

• Link management
• Relationship tracking
• Calendar and daily notes
• Dataview and querying
• Editor enhancements
• Workflow automation
• AI integration (Claude, etc.)

Comparison to Manual Setup

Aspect	Manual Setup	Starter Kit
Time to productive	Weeks	~30 minutes
Research required	Extensive	Minimal
Plugin selection	Trial-and-error	Pre-curated
Folder structure	Custom design	Johnny Decimal proven
Templates	Build from scratch	Comprehensive pre-built
Best practices	Must discover	Documented throughout
AI integration	Not considered	Built-in from v3
Support	Limited	Community included

Use Cases

• Knowledge workers building a “second brain” for career and learning
• Students organizing research and course material
• PhD researchers managing literature and findings
• Authors & writers organizing ideas and drafts
• Entrepreneurs tracking business knowledge and decisions
• Lifelong learners capturing and developing ideas over time
• Content creators managing drafts, publishing pipelines, and style guides

Setup Process

1. Download the vault
2. Install Obsidian
3. Open the vault in Obsidian
4. Install recommended plugins
5. Review the user guide (100+ pages)
6. Create first note using templates
7. Begin capturing knowledge

Total time: ~30 minutes to be productive.

Limitations & Considerations

• Requires Obsidian (one-time paid license)
• Learning curve for Zettelkasten and PARA if unfamiliar
• Vault grows (requires good file management)
• Plugin updates may require maintenance
• Customization beyond the kit requires Obsidian knowledge
• Best for personal use (not designed for team collaboration)

Community & Support

• Personal Knowledge Management community
• Video tutorials and workshops
• Direct access to creator
• Lifetime updates included
• Growing ecosystem of users sharing tips

Related to This Kit

• Sébastien Dubois - Creator
• PARA Method - Organization system
• Zettelkasten - Note-taking methodology
• Johnny Decimal - Folder structure system
• Obsidian - Base application
• Knowledge Worker Kit - Broader system by same creator
• Knowii Community - Unified community platform

Evolution

• v1-v2: Foundation and refinement
• v3: Major update with AI integration, strong metadata typing, migration guides
• Ongoing: Continuous updates and community feedback integration

Learning Resources Included

1. User Guide (100+ pages)
   • System explanation
   • Setup instructions
   • Best practices
   • Troubleshooting
2. Video Tutorials
   • 3-hour v3 technical deep dive
   • Implementation workshops
   • Feature walkthroughs
3. Templates Library
   • All note types pre-templated
   • Copy-and-customize approach
   • Metadata fields pre-filled
4. Community Access
   • Q&A with creator
   • User tips and tricks
   • Vault customization ideas

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Last updated: January 2025
Confidence: High (direct from creator and public sources)
Status: Active product with ongoing updates
Version: 3 (current)
Creator: Sébastien Dubois