The Obsidian Second Brain System of Obsidian's CEO (kepano): 7 Free GitHub Repos Worth Saving

Quick answers

• Steph Ango (kepano), the CEO of Obsidian, has shared his personal vault setup for free on GitHub. Obsidian users do not need to build a note-taking system from zero; they can study a system that is used in real work and adapt it to their own needs.
• The first repo to look at is Kepano Obsidian. It is the personal vault setup of Obsidian's CEO, and it shows newcomers how notes are organized, how templates are used, and how the working environment is configured.
• There are 7 repos worth saving in this list. The seven repos are Kepano Obsidian, JSON Canvas, Obsidian Releases, Obsidian Sample Plugin, 40 Questions, Obsidian Minimal, and Flexoki.
• Beginners do not need to download all 7 repos. The sensible path is to start with Kepano Obsidian for vault organization, then try the Obsidian Minimal theme if a clean interface is preferred.
• A good Second Brain is not measured by its number of folders, plugins, or automations. A good Second Brain is a system that makes its owner want to take notes, makes information easy to find again, and makes stored knowledge actually usable.

What is a Second Brain built with Obsidian?

A Second Brain is a personal knowledge system outside human memory, where notes, documents, and ideas are recorded in a structure so they can be found and used when needed. Built on Obsidian, a Second Brain is a vault of Markdown files stored on the user's own machine, organized with folders, links between notes, templates, and — when needed — community plugins. The important point is that the data lives in open files, so the user keeps control and can open the same notes with other tools.

Why is the Obsidian CEO's system worth studying?

Steph Ango, known on GitHub as kepano, is the CEO of Obsidian. He published his personal vault setup instead of keeping it as a private configuration. Its practical value is simple: instead of guessing how folders should be organized, which interface to use, or which plugins to install, a learner can observe a system that runs in real daily work, understand the reasoning behind each choice, and adopt only the parts that fit. All repos in this list are public and free on GitHub; each user still has to customize them, because no single configuration fits every note-taking habit.

What are the 7 GitHub repos in kepano's Second Brain system?

Repo	Author / organization	What it is for	Who should start here
Kepano Obsidian	kepano	The Obsidian CEO's personal vault setup: note organization, templates, and working environment	New Obsidian users — look at this one first
JSON Canvas	obsidianmd	An open format for Canvas: connecting ideas with diagrams, mind maps, and visual boards; data stored as files other tools can use	Visual thinkers who work with Canvas
Obsidian Releases	obsidianmd	The hub collecting information about Obsidian community plugins and themes	Users who want to explore the extension ecosystem
Obsidian Sample Plugin	obsidianmd	The official template for developing Obsidian plugins	People who can code or are learning AI-assisted coding
40 Questions	kepano	40 questions for reviewing a year: what was learned, what changed, and what to focus on next	People who take notes but rarely review them
Obsidian Minimal	kepano	A minimal Obsidian theme focused on content, with fewer distracting details	Beginners after step 1, and anyone who likes a clean interface
Flexoki	kepano	A color scheme designed for writing and programming, aimed at comfortable viewing over long sessions	Users who care about interface and reading/writing comfort

What can users learn from Kepano Obsidian?

Kepano Obsidian is the most valuable starting point in the list because it shows a complete vault as a whole instead of isolated pieces. From this repo, a learner can observe how notes are organized, how templates keep formatting consistent, and how the working environment is set up so that capturing a note is fast and low-friction. The effective way to learn is not to copy someone else's vault wholesale, but to understand the organizing principles and apply them piece by piece to one's own vault.

How do JSON Canvas and Obsidian Releases differ?

JSON Canvas is a format, not just an interface feature. It describes how Canvas data — idea nodes and the connections between them — is stored as a structured, open file, so tools other than Obsidian can also read and use it. Obsidian Releases, by contrast, acts as the gateway to the ecosystem: it collects community plugins and themes, helping users discover extensions instead of relying only on default features. One repo is about data and interoperability between tools; the other is about where to find trustworthy extensions.

Which two needs do Obsidian Sample Plugin and 40 Questions serve?

Obsidian Sample Plugin is the official template for people who want to build features Obsidian does not yet have — a group that usually can code or is learning to code with AI assistance. 40 Questions, in contrast, has nothing to do with technology: it is a set of 40 questions for reviewing one's own year. It addresses a common gap among note-takers — writing a lot but rarely sitting down to re-read and see what was learned and how one has changed. One repo extends what the tool can do; the other improves the quality of the reflection habit.

What roles do Obsidian Minimal and Flexoki play?

Obsidian Minimal is a minimal theme developed by kepano himself, suited to people who like a clean note-taking space with few distractions and a focus on content. Flexoki is a color scheme designed for both writing and programming, aiming for harmony and comfort during long viewing sessions. Both belong to the presentation layer: they do not change how knowledge is organized, but they directly affect whether the user wants to open the vault every day — which matters more in the long run than how pretty the interface looks.

Where should a beginner start?

1. Start with Kepano Obsidian. Study how a real, working system organizes its vault, templates, and environment, then apply small parts of it to your own vault.
2. Try Obsidian Minimal if you like a clean interface. A tidy space helps focus on writing instead of constantly adjusting the system.
3. Expand only once you are comfortable. After the note-taking habit is stable, explore further through Obsidian Releases, try Canvas with JSON Canvas, and only consider writing your own plugin with Obsidian Sample Plugin if there is a real need.
4. Review periodically with 40 Questions. A regular review turns a note archive from a storage place into knowledge that is actually used.

What is the most important principle when building a Second Brain?

The most important principle is that the system must serve the note-taking, not the other way around. A good Second Brain is not the system with the most folders, plugins, or automations. A good Second Brain is a system that makes you want to take notes, makes information easy to find again, and makes stored knowledge genuinely usable. The practical consequence is that users should not spend so much time building a perfect note-taking system that no time is left for taking notes — a steady capture habit and fast retrieval matter more than an elaborate structure.

Frequently asked questions about a Second Brain with Obsidian

Do I need to download all 7 repos to build a Second Brain?

No. A beginner only needs to start with Kepano Obsidian for vault organization, and add Obsidian Minimal if a clean interface is preferred. The other five repos should be explored only when there is a specific need, such as using Canvas, discovering plugins, or developing a plugin.

Are kepano's repos free?

Yes. All 7 repos in this article are public GitHub repositories that can be viewed, downloaded, and customized for free. Each user is responsible for adapting the configuration to their own vault and habits.

Should I copy the Kepano Obsidian vault exactly, or build from scratch?

Neither extreme is recommended. The effective approach is to study the sample vault to understand its principles for organizing notes, templates, and the working environment, then apply the parts that fit your own system and skip the rest.

Does JSON Canvas keep my data from being locked into Obsidian?

Yes, by design. JSON Canvas is an open format: Canvas data is stored as clearly structured files, so tools other than Obsidian can also read and use it, instead of the data being locked in a closed format.

By what criteria is a good Second Brain judged?

A good Second Brain is judged by three criteria: whether its owner wants to capture notes into it regularly, whether information can be found again quickly when needed, and whether stored knowledge is actually reused. The number of folders, plugins, or automations is not a criterion.

Sources

This article was rewritten from a post by Lê Quốc Nghĩa on Facebook (published 9 November 2026): the original Facebook post. Repos mentioned: kepano/kepano-obsidian, obsidianmd/jsoncanvas, obsidianmd/obsidian-releases, obsidianmd/obsidian-sample-plugin, kepano/40-questions, kepano/obsidian-minimal, and kepano/flexoki. The cover image was created by Wotech for this topic; the original post is a video and has no accompanying photo album.