I shipped a free Claude+Obsidian "second brain" template after realizing nobody sells the done-for-you version of both
There are a dozen free YouTube walkthroughs for wiring Claude into an Obsidian PARA vault, and a dozen paid PARA templates with no AI in them at all, but nobody selling a tested, designed version of both together. So I built Cairn: PARA structure, a real theme (not default Obsidian), and a Claude skill that interviews you and writes your whole brain file instead of leaving you at a blank page.
Gave away a free stripped-down version first (one skill, one theme) to actually find out if anyone wants this before building the rest: https://dylbarajas.gumroad.com/l/cairn-free
Genuinely curious what this community thinks, especially if you've tried to wire Claude into your own notes before and hit a wall.
The done-for-you angle is the interesting part.
Are people mainly using Cairn because setup is easier, or because the combined Claude + Obsidian workflow is better?
Setup ease is the bigger driver so far, honestly. Most people who've tried wiring Claude into Obsidian on their own get stuck at the blank-CLAUDE.md problem, not at the workflow itself once it exists. The combined workflow matters more for retention though, once someone's past that first hour.
That acquisition vs. retention split is interesting. I’d be curious what actually gets users through the first hour and then makes the combined workflow worth returning to. What’s the best email to reach you on?
Honestly it's the AI interview writing the first CLAUDE.md for you — most people who bail do it right at the blank-page moment, so getting past that in one sitting is most of the "first hour" win. Past that, retention is less about the AI and more about whether the PARA structure actually holds up once real notes pile in, not just whether it felt good on day one. Happy to keep talking here for now — will follow up with an email if that's easier once I've got a minute to sort through a few of these.
Easiest is just barajasdyl@gmail.com — happy to keep this going there if it's easier to go back and forth.
Thanks! I’ve just sent it over.
Looking forward to hearing your thoughts whenever you have a chance.
Got it, thanks — just replied over email with where my head's at on retention. Appreciate you digging into this.