Sébastien Dubois
Sébastien Dubois is a knowledge management expert, entrepreneur, author, and educator with 20+ years of experience in information management and personal knowledge management (PKM). He founded DeveloPassion, through which he creates products, courses, and communities focused on knowledge management, productivity, and systems thinking.
Background & Experience
Professional Foundation
- 25+ years of expertise in information management and PKM
- IT Solution Architect and System Engineer (50% time) at large financial organization in Belgium
- Technical background in IT, software development, and systems thinking
- Systems thinking expert with focus on proper system design
Key Strengths
- Expressing and teaching ideas clearly
- Identifying first principles
- Learning rapidly
- Connecting insights across fields
- Knowledge capture, organization, and management at scale
Philosophy & Approach
Core Problem Statement
Dubois addresses fundamental challenges knowledge workers face:
- Information overload and cognitive load
- Context switching costs
- Knowledge retention challenges
- Scattered information across platforms
- Knowledge loss and forgotten insights
Systems Thinking Approach
Rather than treating knowledge management as tool selection, he advocates:
- Proper system design before tool selection
- Practical habits integrated into daily workflows
- Scalability as knowledge bases grow
- AI leverage with structured knowledge bases
- First principles thinking about information flow
Philosophy Statement
Knowledge workers shouldn’t lose insights to scattered notes, folder hierarchies, or forgotten documents. Modern knowledge management requires designed systems, not tool hoping.
Major Products & Initiatives
Obsidian Starter Kit (2022)
A pre-configured Obsidian vault with:
- Proven folder structure (Johnny Decimal system)
- Multiple PKM methodologies (Zettelkasten, PARA)
- 100+ page guide and video tutorials
- Pre-built templates and systems
- Lifetime updates
Impact: Sold hundreds of copies, widely adopted by knowledge workers
Knowledge Worker Kit (Late 2023)
Comprehensive guide covering:
- Personal development and systems thinking
- Habits and routines
- Career management and learning
- PKM and journaling
- Project management, planning, task management
- Productivity and execution
Knowledge Management for Beginners Course (Early 2025)
Educational offering combining:
- Theoretical foundations in systems design
- Practical application and implementation
- Design thinking approaches
- Complete PKM lifecycle: Explore → Curate → Consume & Capture → Distill → Organize & Connect → Develop → Create → Share
Knowii Community (2025)
Strategic consolidation of all offerings into unified community:
- Community of practice for professionals
- Unlimited access to ecosystem:
- All courses and products
- Templates and tools
- Content library
- Direct community connections
- Shift from isolated products to integrated ecosystem
Dev Concepts Series
E-book series explaining IT and software development concepts:
- Published: First two books
- Status: Paused (funding constraints)
- Plan: Complete full series
Content & Digital Presence
Publishing Channels
- Blog: developassion.com with extensive article library
- Weekly Newsletter: Knowledge management and productivity insights
- Books: Published works on knowledge management
- YouTube Channel: Knowledge management education and tutorials
- Subreddit & Communities: Active community spaces
Content Themes
- Knowledge management best practices
- Personal knowledge systems design
- Learning and retention strategies
- Productivity methodologies
- Information organization
- AI and knowledge bases
Obsidian Plugins Developed
- Obsidian Dataview Serializer
- Replicate.com integration
- Typefully integration
- Update Time plugin
Business Evolution
Timeline of Strategic Pivots
2020: Transitioned from consulting to focus entirely on knowledge management after extensive market research
2021-2022: Created PKM Library and transformed DeveloPassion into media business
- Hundreds of articles and newsletters
- Multiple communities (subreddit, Discord, etc.)
- Cross-platform content distribution
2023: Knowledge Worker Kit launch, expanding beyond tools to systems
2025: Knowii Community consolidation
- Shift from product-centric to community-centric
- Integrated ecosystem approach
- Emphasis on peer learning and growth
Business Philosophy
- First products → then communities — Validated through product sales before scaling community
- User validation — Test with personal use before offering
- Iterative improvement — Continuous refinement based on user feedback
- Ecosystem thinking — Move from isolated tools to integrated systems
Teaching Approach
Core Principles
- Systems before tools — Design proper systems first, choose tools second
- First principles thinking — Return to fundamentals of information flow
- Practical application — Theory must connect to daily practice
- Design thinking — Teach people to build their own systems, not just adopt templates
- Iterative learning — Build, test, learn, refine
Educational Content
- Theoretical foundations in PKM and information science
- Practical step-by-step implementation guides
- Video demonstrations and walkthroughs
- Community sharing and peer learning
- Continuous updates based on advances in AI and tools
Current Focus
AI Integration (2024-2025)
- Making knowledge bases AI-accessible
- Obsidian Starter Kit v3 with strong metadata typing for AI
- Exploring AI-augmented knowledge work
- Building tools for AI-human collaboration in PKM
Community Building
- Knowii as unified ecosystem
- Focus on practitioners learning from each other
- Peer support and shared knowledge
- Growing network effect
Systems Development
- Refining PKM methodologies
- Integrating AI capabilities
- Creating scalable approaches
- Documenting best practices
Products & Services
| Product | Type | Focus | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Obsidian Starter Kit | Product | Pre-built vault system | Active, v3 released |
| Knowledge Worker Kit | Product/Course | Comprehensive guide | Active |
| KM for Beginners | Course | Educational | Active (2025) |
| Knowii Community | Community | Ecosystem | Active (2025) |
| Dev Concepts | E-books | Software concepts | Paused |
| Blog & Newsletter | Content | Education | Active |
| YouTube | Video Education | Tutorials | Active |
Impact & Influence
- Hundreds of Obsidian Starter Kit users benefiting from proven system
- Influenced PKM approach for knowledge workers globally
- Demonstrated viability of knowledge management as business
- Pioneered AI-ready knowledge base structuring
- Built thriving community around knowledge systems
Key Insight
“Knowledge management isn’t about finding the perfect tool. It’s about designing a system that fits your work, using tools that support that system, and building habits that sustain it over decades.”
Related Concepts
- Obsidian Starter Kit - Main product
- PARA Method - Organization framework taught
- Zettelkasten - Note-taking methodology taught
- Johnny Decimal - Folder structure recommended
- Obsidian - Primary tool
- Knowii Community - Current community platform
- DeveloPassion - Company/brand
Learning Resources
- Website: blog.developassion.com
- Twitter/Social: @sdubois (active presence)
- Newsletter: Weekly knowledge management insights
- YouTube: Extensive tutorial library
- Products: Direct hands-on learning through kits and courses
Last updated: January 2025
Confidence: High (from creator interviews and public materials)
Status: Active entrepreneur and educator
Location: Binche, Belgium
Nationality: Belgian
Born: 1983
Key Achievement: Created widely-adopted Obsidian Starter Kit used by hundreds