PKM systems comparison covering PARA, Zettelkasten, GTD, and Building a Second Brain methodologies with capture workflows, processing routines, retrieval strategies, tool selection guidance, and information diet management.
SkillScore73Maintained
Automatic
◆Knowledge Management pack
Last verified 9/19/2026
What it changes
Passed 16 of 22 test cases with the skill, and 9 of 22 without it.
Without skill41%
With skill73%
Checks it passed that the model alone missed
The diagnosis includes a Current System Strengths section.
The primary failure mode is diagnosed as retrieval failure.
The response declines to design an enterprise wiki platform.
and 12 more in the full report
8 fixed8 passed either way5 still failing1 broke
Pass-rate lift
+32 pp
Tokens
+325%
Agent turns
0%
Response time
+39%
Model gemini-3.6-flashMeasured 9/19/2026v116 of 22 cases passed with skill
Tokens, turns and time describe resource use, not a dollar price.
See it in action
One of 8 test cases the skill fixed. Same model, same prompt, with and without the skill.
1 of 8
Prompt
I'm a freelance tech consultant juggling four clients simultaneously. I save dozens of technical articles, newsletters, and meeting notes every week, but when creating client briefs, I end up re-searching Google because my notes are an unstructured mess across Notion and Apple Notes. I need a tailored knowledge management design. Please structure your output to include: a diagnostic assessment of my system breakdowns, a methodology table mapping workflow layers to methodologies, software stack recommendations, a custom folder hierarchy, note templates for meetings and insights, daily/weekly review checklists, an information consumption diet plan, a three-month execution roadmap, and preventive guardrails with health check targets.
What was checked, without and with the skill
Checked
Without skill
With skill
The diagnosis section includes a Current System Strengths section.
Missed
Passed
The daily processing section includes the 3-Question Processing Protocol.
Missed
Passed
The primary failure mode is diagnosed as retrieval failure.
Missed
Passed
case-02 · gemini-3.6-flash · 9/19/2026 · answers are capped and redacted
What's inside
The instructions your model reads when the skill loads.
SKILL.md557 linessingle file
Personal Knowledge Manager
When to Use
Use this skill when:
A user is starting from scratch and wants to build their first knowledge management system -- including tool selection, folder structure, and daily workflow
A user has an existing PKM that is not working -- notes are never retrieved, the inbox is thousands of items deep, or the weekly review has been abandoned for months
A user wants to compare PARA, Zettelkasten, GTD, or Building a Second Brain (BASB) and select the right methodology for their role and cognitive style
A user is a researcher, writer, analyst, or student who needs to synthesize large volumes of sources into original output (papers, posts, reports, books)
A user wants to manage information overload -- too many newsletters, podcasts, courses, and articles with no coherent system
A user needs to decide between PKM tools -- Obsidian, Notion, Logseq, Capacities, Roam Research, or a hybrid stack
A user is building an AI-augmented knowledge workflow using local LLMs, retrieval-augmented generation, or semantic search over their notes
A user asks about specific PKM concepts: progressive summarization, Maps of Content (MOCs), evergreen notes, linked thinking, or the collector's fallacy
Do NOT use when:
The user needs project management or task tracking advice without a knowledge component -- use a dedicated productivity or project management skill instead
The user is asking about enterprise knowledge management, wikis, or documentation for teams -- this skill covers personal systems; organizational KM is a separate domain
The user needs academic research methodology (systematic literature reviews, citation management at scale, peer review workflows) -- that requires a research methodology skill
The user is asking about note-taking apps purely for team collaboration (Confluence, Notion team spaces, Slab) -- redirect to a collaboration tools skill
The user needs mental health support around information anxiety, focus disorders, or burnout -- note the limitations and direct to appropriate resources
The user is asking about data backup, sync infrastructure, or cloud storage architectures -- those are IT/infrastructure concerns even if tangentially related to PKM tools
Questions to Ask First
Before generating recommendations, gather this diagnostic information. Not every question is needed -- read context and ask only what is genuinely unclear:
Primary output goal -- What do you produce from your knowledge? (Long-form writing, decisions, presentations, code, research papers, teaching, conversations?) The output type determines the entire system architecture.
Information input type -- Do you primarily read articles, annotate PDFs, take meeting notes, save bookmarks, capture ideas on the go, or listen to podcasts and audiobooks?
Current system description -- What does your current system look like, including tools, folder structures, and any workflows? What specifically is breaking down?
Time budget -- How many minutes per day and per week can you realistically commit to processing and reviewing? (10 min/day vs. 60 min/day changes the right system dramatically)
Professional context -- Are you a student, researcher, knowledge worker (analyst, strategist, consultant), creative (writer, designer, developer), or manager? Each has a different optimal hybrid.
Friction points -- Where does your system most often break down? Capture? Processing? Retrieval? Output creation? This reveals whether the problem is structural or habitual.
Tool constraints -- Do you require local-first storage (privacy, offline access), cross-platform sync, or existing ecosystem lock-in (Apple, Google, Microsoft)?
Collaboration need -- Is any portion of your knowledge system shared with collaborators, or is it entirely personal?
Complete podcast audio editing and production guidance covering cleanup (noise reduction, EQ, compression), editing for pacing and storytelling, music beds and sound design, intro/outro creation, loudness standards (LUFS), show notes, transcription, and the full publishing workflow from raw recording to distribution. Use when the user asks about podcast editor or needs help with related topics. Do NOT use for unrelated domains or when a more specialized skill exists.