Effortless Note Taking

Effortless Note Taking is for academics and researchers. Build a connected note system that sparks research ideas.

Why you should join: A step-by-step workflow using Obsidian with Zotero or Paperpile, so every paper, thought and concept is linked, searchable and ready to generate new directions. One-time access is $95.

The one-liner

A one-off course teaching researchers a connected Obsidian note system that generates new ideas.

What they actually sell

Effortless Note Taking, run by Ilya Shabanov, lives on Circle. Its public pitch: "Master a connected note system that auto-generates research ideas." Membership costs $95 as a one-off payment. Ilya Shabanov teaches an end-to-end workflow linking Obsidian with reference managers such as Zotero or Paperpile, so notes become a network of ideas. The course includes a nine-hour step-by-step video programme and a 20,000-word written playbook of tools, strategies and templates, from zero to long-term research projects.

Who pays and why

Researchers, academics and heavy readers drowning in papers and notes. The frustration is notes that sit unused instead of sparking new ideas. They pay for a nine-hour video programme and a long written playbook on a connected note system.

Where the members come from

Public Circle discovery copy and Ilya Shabanov's listing appear to be the front door. Linked social proof on the page is thin, so growth reads as brand-and-listing led rather than a giant media funnel. Exact audience sizes beyond the member count on the card stay off the lander.

What's holding it back

A one-off course has no repeat revenue, and the community side is not described in much detail on the page.

Steal this

Promise a system that produces new ideas, not just tidy notes, because that is what researchers really want.

Would this work in another niche?

Yes for other knowledge workers such as writers, lawyers or analysts. Weak for people who rarely read.