This project provides a self-evolving "second brain" system that leverages AI agents, local markdown files, and Git for knowledge management. It targets users seeking an intelligent, adaptive system that automatically synthesizes insights without databases or vendor lock-in, offering a low-maintenance, privacy-first approach to personal and team knowledge organization.

How It Works

COG utilizes AI agents (e.g., Claude Code, Gemini CLI, OpenAI Codex) to interact with a user's local markdown (.md) files. These files serve as the knowledge base, which is version-controlled via Git and can be synced using iCloud. The system "self-evolves" by learning user patterns, auto-organizing content, and building frameworks, offering a dynamic and adaptive knowledge synthesis process distinct from static note-taking applications.

Quick Start & Requirements

• Primary install / run command: Clone the repository (git clone https://github.com/huytieu/COG-second-brain.git), navigate into it (cd COG-second-brain), and run the onboarding command via your chosen AI agent (e.g., code . → "Run onboarding" for Claude Code).
• Non-default prerequisites and dependencies: Requires an AI agent capable of reading markdown. Git is optional but recommended. Optional integrations include GitHub CLI, Linear, Slack, and PostHog for team skills.
• Estimated setup time or resource footprint: Personalization and setup are estimated to take approximately 2 minutes. API usage costs depend on the chosen AI agent.
• Links: SETUP.md, Quick Start, Skills, Features, FAQ.

Highlighted Details

• Self-Evolving & Self-Healing: Learns user patterns, auto-organizes content, builds frameworks, and automatically updates cross-references when files are renamed or restructured.
• Verification-First: Emphasizes sourced information with 7-day freshness and confidence levels on all analysis.
• Privacy-First: Operates entirely on local .md files with no external server data storage.
• Multi-Device & Obsidian Integration: Supports iCloud sync for multi-device access and integrates with the Obsidian Tasks plugin for markdown-based task management.
• Comprehensive PM Workflow: Offers a full product management lifecycle from research and PRD generation to release notes and knowledge base updates.

Maintenance & Community

Framework files are separated from user content, allowing updates via AI agent commands ("Update COG") or shell scripts (./cog-update.sh) without touching personal data, with user approval for changes. Community support is available via GitHub Discussions.

Licensing & Compatibility

• License type: MIT License.
• Compatibility notes: Open-source, local markdown files, no vendor lock-in. Permissive for commercial use.

Limitations & Caveats

The roadmap indicates ongoing development for features like a web interface for knowledge graph visualization and mobile-first commands, suggesting the project is still evolving. Advanced team skills require specific integrations (GitHub CLI, Linear, Slack, PostHog) for full functionality. Functionality is dependent on the chosen AI agent's capabilities and associated API costs.