Document your knowledge system in 5 parts
Document system operations in five components—capture rules, processing workflow, retrieval method, review protocol, and evolution history—because each component addresses a distinct failure mode in knowledge system sustainability.
When This Fires
- Setting up a new knowledge management system
- When a knowledge system is failing and you need to diagnose which component is broken
- During system handoff to another person or future-you after a long break
- When your current system "doesn't work" but you can't articulate why
Common Failure Mode
Documenting only the tool choice ("I use Obsidian") without documenting the operations. The tool is the least important part — operations determine whether the system works. A well-operated system in any tool outperforms a poorly-operated system in the best tool.
The Protocol
Document each of the five components: (1) Capture rules: triggers, tools, minimum viable capture, what gets captured vs. ignored. (2) Processing workflow: how items move from inbox → permanent notes; frequency, criteria, quality standards. (3) Retrieval method: how you find things — search strategies, browse paths, tag systems. (4) Review protocol: cadence and scope of reviews — daily, weekly, quarterly; what gets checked. (5) Evolution history: a changelog of system modifications — what changed, when, why, and whether it helped. The five-component documentation takes 1-2 hours initially and pays back every time you need to diagnose a failure, onboard someone, or recover from a break.