AI Second Brain — Knowledge Graph

AI Second Brain

Obsidian vault template for AI developers — connected to Claude Code via MCP

Quick Start • Architecture • What's Included • Claude Code MCP • Plugins

The Problem

Every AI developer / freelancer / solopreneur hits the same wall:

Projects scattered across folders, Notion, Google Docs, random files
Client notes in 5 different places — can't find that one conversation
Skills & automations you built but forgot about
AI assistants that start fresh every time — zero memory of your work
Context switching between tools kills your flow

The Solution

One Obsidian vault. PARA structure. Connected to Claude Code via MCP.

Your AI doesn't just answer questions — it thinks with your entire knowledge base.

Clone this template, fill it with your data, and your AI remembers everything.

Quick Start

1. Clone & Open

git clone https://github.com/aiagentwithdhruv/obsidian-ai-vault.git

Open Obsidian → Open folder as vault → select the cloned folder.

2. Enable Plugins

Go to Settings → Community Plugins → Turn on community plugins

Install the recommended plugins listed in the Plugins section.

3. Connect Claude Code (MCP)

Install the Obsidian MCP server:

npm install -g obsidian-mcp

Add to your project settings (~/.claude/projects/<your-project>/settings.json):

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "ObsidianVault": {
      "command": "obsidian-mcp",
      "args": ["/path/to/your/obsidian-ai-vault"]
    }
  }
}

4. Install Official Obsidian Skills (Optional)

npx skills add kepano/obsidian-skills -y

This installs 5 skills by the CEO of Obsidian — teaches Claude Code how to properly read/write Obsidian files.

5. Start Building

Open Dashboard/Home.md — your command center
Use templates to create clients, projects, daily notes
Claude Code can now search, create, and update notes in your vault

Architecture

obsidian-ai-vault/
│
├── 00-Inbox/                    # Quick capture — dump ideas here
├── 01-Projects/                 # Active projects with deadlines
├── 02-Areas/                    # Ongoing responsibilities
│   ├── Clients/                 # Client CRM (one note per client)
│   ├── Revenue/                 # Revenue tracking & pipeline
│   ├── Content/                 # Content calendar & ideas
│   └── Freelancing/             # Upwork, Fiverr, LinkedIn
├── 03-Resources/                # Reference material
│   ├── Skills/                  # Automation skills & patterns
│   ├── Agents/                  # AI sub-agents
│   ├── Workflows/               # n8n / automation docs
│   └── Research/                # Deep research notes
├── 04-Archive/                  # Completed / inactive
├── Context/                     # AI handoff context (CLAUDE.md, etc.)
├── Memory/                      # Persistent AI memory files
├── Templates/                   # 6 note templates
├── Dashboard/                   # 4 Dataview dashboards
└── .obsidian/                   # Obsidian config

This follows the PARA method (Projects, Areas, Resources, Archive) by Tiago Forte — the most proven system for organizing knowledge.

What's Included

6 Templates

Template	Purpose	Key Fields
Client	CRM entry per client	status, channel, value, contacts
Project	Track active projects	status, priority, deadline, github
Daily Note	Daily standup / journal	tasks, wins, revenue, tomorrow
Skill	Document automation skills	inputs, outputs, steps, composable
Meeting	Meeting notes	attendees, agenda, action items
Research	Deep research sessions	question, findings, sources

4 Dashboards (Dataview-powered)

Dashboard	What It Shows
Home	Quick navigation, active clients, active projects, recent notes
Client Pipeline	CRM pipeline: leads → proposals → active → delivered
Skills Index	All skills by category with version
Projects Map	All projects with status, priority, deadlines

Folder Structure

Folder	What Goes Here
`00-Inbox`	Quick captures — process later
`01-Projects`	Time-bound goals (build X by Y date)
`02-Areas/Clients`	One note per client with frontmatter
`02-Areas/Revenue`	Revenue tracking, pricing, proposals
`03-Resources/Skills`	Reusable automation patterns
`Context`	AI context files (CLAUDE.md, brand, preferences)
`Memory`	Persistent AI memory across sessions

Claude Code MCP

The magic: Claude Code connects to your vault via MCP and can:

Search across all notes, skills, and knowledge
Create new client entries, project docs, meeting notes
Update memory, context, and status fields
Navigate the knowledge graph via backlinks
Query using Dataview-style logic

How It Works

┌─────────────────────────────────┐
│         OBSIDIAN VAULT          │
│  Skills • Clients • Projects    │
│  Memory • Context • Knowledge   │
│         ┌──────────┐            │
│         │  Graph   │            │
│         │  View    │            │
│         └────┬─────┘            │
└──────────────┼──────────────────┘
               │ MCP (obsidian-mcp)
               ▼
┌──────────────────────────────────┐
│         CLAUDE CODE              │
│  Reads • Writes • Searches      │
│  Reasons over your knowledge     │
└──────────────────────────────────┘

Example Commands

Once connected, just ask Claude Code naturally:

"Search my vault for everything about lead generation"
"Create a new client note for Acme Corp, $5000 project"
"What skills do I have for email automation?"
"Update my daily note with today's wins"

Plugins

Must-Have (Pre-configured)

Plugin	Purpose
Dataview	Query vault like a database — powers all dashboards
Templater	Advanced templates with date math and logic
Tasks	Task management with due dates and filters
Kanban	Visual pipeline boards for clients and projects
Calendar	Daily notes and content calendar
Obsidian Git	Auto-backup vault to GitHub

Plugin	Purpose
Smart Connections	AI semantic search across your vault
Excalidraw	Diagrams and system design inside notes
Commander	Custom toolbar commands
Post Webhook	n8n / Make.com / Zapier integration

Screenshots

Home dashboard — Quick Navigation, Active Projects, Recent Notes

Knowledge graph — everything connected through backlinks

Customization

Adding Your Own Skills

Create a note in 03-Resources/Skills/your-skill-name/
Use the Skill template
Document: inputs, outputs, steps, composable skills

Setting Up CRM

Create client notes in 02-Areas/Clients/
Use the Client template
Set frontmatter: status: lead, channel: upwork, value: 2000
View pipeline in Dashboard/Client Pipeline.md

Daily Workflow

Create a daily note using the Daily Note template
Track: distribution done, tasks, wins, revenue, tomorrow's plan
Process inbox items into Projects/Areas/Resources/Archive

Why Obsidian + Claude Code?

Feature	Obsidian	Notion	Google Docs
Local-first	Your files, your SSD	Cloud only	Cloud only
AI-connected	MCP to Claude Code	Limited AI	Gemini only
Markdown	Plain .md files	Proprietary	Proprietary
Git-backed	Full version history	No	No
Plugin ecosystem	2700+ plugins	Limited	None
Free	Free (commercial $50)	$10/mo	Free-ish
Offline	Always works	Needs internet	Needs internet
Knowledge graph	Built-in graph view	No	No

Built By

Dhruv — AI Developer building autonomous AI systems.

Your AI doesn't just answer questions.
It thinks with your entire knowledge base.

Ai Vault