How Building a Second Brain blends online communities and IRL experiences
When Julia Saxena joined Tiago Forte’s Forte Labs as General Manager, Building a Second Brain (BASB) was primarily known for its cohort-based course, which had run 19 successful cohorts since 2015.
Today, it's evolved into a thriving ecosystem of self-paced courses, premium membership experiences, and even in-person events—all powered by Circle's community platform.
As a community focused on reaching your utmost creative potential as a human being, maximizing your productivity and thriving in the (sometimes overwhelming) world–BASB offers members a place to organize their most important ideas and insights, and use them to do their best work. And that massive goal requires varying approaches, strategies, and spaces.
"Circle really was our official digital companion for the summit,” says Julia. “It was so useful to bring everyone into Circle right from the moment when they purchased a ticket, and to get people together in one space and connect even before they met in person."
The community breakdown
📍 Community: Building a Second Brain
👋 Founder: Tiago Forte
🗓️ Launched in: 2020
🌟 Size: 10,000+
🎯 Purpose: Organizing digital lives by combating information overwhelm
💰Pricing model: Combination of self-paced courses, cohort-based courses, and paid membership
Core community offering
Building a Second Brain's journey represents a masterclass in community evolution. What started as a popular blog post transformed into a cohort-based course, then expanded into multiple learning formats to meet diverse member needs.
"The membership initially came out of just wanting to create a community space where people can continue to learn and connect with each other after the cohort finished," says Julia.
Tiago’s team expertly combines online learning with in-person interaction through events like the Second Brain Summit. The Circle platform becomes a central hub for their community, providing space for announcements, networking, and real-time updates.
"We actually hosted two virtual events before the in-person summit in September,” shared Julia. “We wanted people to already meet and be familiar with each other before they come, so they don't come there and feel lost or alone."
How it’s organized
The current BASB ecosystem includes:
1. Foundational programs
- Pillars of Productivity: An entry-level self-paced course ($249)
- Building a Second Brain Foundation: Their flagship self-paced program ($499)
- Annual Review: A hybrid cohort experience launching periodically ($1,994-5,000)
2. Premium membership
The Second Brain membership ($499/year) offers:
- Weekly live events and office hours
- Specialized interest groups
- Expert Q&A sessions
- On-demand resources
- Community support
3. High-touch experiences
- One-on-one coaching opportunities
- In-person events like the Second Brain Summit
- Premium cohort experiences with direct access to Tiago
"When it comes to community spaces, we've really found that less is more. People can easily get confused and overwhelmed by having too many spaces and they don't know where to look," says Julia.
How it’s monetized
Subscription offerings in the Building a Second Brain community are carefully curated to add significant value. The courses are layered with additional experiences like live workshops and personal coaching sessions, particularly in high-demand areas. The pricing model is set to reflect the diversity of offerings—ranging from evergreen courses to exclusive membership privileges.
- Self-paced courses ($249-$997)
- Premium membership ($499/year or $175/quarter)
- Cohort experiences ($997-$5,000)
- In-person events ($1,200)
The community team
Besides Julia, the community benefits from a small yet efficient team, including operations and video editors. Their approach allows for personalized engagement and attention to the evolving needs of their members.
"One thing I really want to make immediately clear when people join the membership is the culture of what is it like to be in this membership? What do we do here? How do we interact with each other? How do we support each other?"
- Julia Saxena, General Manager at Forte Labs
Julia’s top community building tips & tricks
- Start simple, scale smart: "Don't overwhelm members with too many spaces or features. Start with the essentials and expand based on actual usage and feedback,” says Julia.
- Leverage automation wisely: Use automation for routine tasks while maintaining personal touch points:
- Welcome messages
- Check-in sequences
- Event reminders
- Feedback collection
- Adapt to member needs: "Listen to your community and be willing to pivot. Our shift from pure cohort-based learning to multiple formats came directly from understanding our members' needs."
- Build clear value propositions: Each offering should have a distinct value proposition while fitting into the larger ecosystem.
For community builders looking to scale their impact, Building a Second Brain's journey offers valuable insights into growing beyond a single offering into a comprehensive learning ecosystem. Their success demonstrates the power of combining various learning formats while maintaining a strong community core.
