If You Need AI to Use a Tool, the Tool Is Probably Over-Engineered

Complicated note-taking apps can make things worse. It all comes down to purpose: if you know why you're using a tool and chose it to match that aim, you're unlikely to get distracted (unless the interface itself is confusing).

Microsoft Word is a good example of that. Obsidian too: basic things like lists and formatting, which most documentation apps handle natively, often require a plugin for no obvious reason.

If you have a clear goal and the app solves the problem you're actually trying to solve, there's no need to go into the weeds of how it works.

This shifts once AI enters the picture. With a general-purpose tool like AI, you don't really need a node-based app anymore. You can describe your nodes in almost any form. As long as you figure out a pipeline that processes them the way you like, low- or no-interface apps are probably the better choice.

Until the next sync,
Zhenia