Ed is the voice behind Organizing for Change on YouTube, where his videos on note-taking, second-brain systems, and E Ink workflows have grown a vibrant community - three of his top four videos of all time are about Supernote. He also hosts the Change Chat podcast and teaches an “Introduction to Organization & Second Brain Systems” course on Patreon.

By day, Ed is Executive Director of the Center for Innovation in Teaching, Assessment, and Learning at Valparaiso University, and is taking on a new role as Assistant Professor and Program Director for the Master of Organizational Leadership program. With more than three decades of leadership experience across higher education, libraries, and nonprofits, he holds a doctorate in organizational leadership from Indiana Wesleyan University.

Ed’s first Supernote was an A5 X, purchased five years ago in the wake of the pandemic-era technology overhaul he led as Director of Operations at the Lake Forest Library. Half a decade later, with a Manta on his desk and the original A5 X still in honored rotation, he remains one of our most thoughtful and principled long-term partners. We sat down with him for a wide-ranging conversation about the device, the practice of organizing for change, the industry, and what comes next.

Let’s dive in.

Part I: The Tool

Five years in. Take us inside a typical week with the Supernote now.

Although I have shifted my primary work to the Manta for my everyday carry, I continue to use both the Nomad and my A5 X to try out different use cases and better understand how the devices are developing in parallel to one another. I want to stress that a typical week for me may not be the same as for some others, although components of it would definitely seem familiar.

There is the administrative side of me, which is my primary role as Executive Director for the Valparaiso University Center for Innovation in Teaching, Assessment, and Learning. In this role, I work with faculty, staff, and administration to aid faculty in their teaching and learning journey. I am in meetings, planning workshops, and troubleshooting instructional technologies.

My current secondary role is as an adjunct faculty member at multiple universities, where I teach leadership, specializing in foundational theory, human resource development, and organizational change. In this context, I use it for course meetings, developing course outlines, and mind-mapping course structures.

Finally, there is my YouTube hobby. While I take it very seriously, it is a hobby instead of a primary income stream, and it is where I really get to play with different technologies and workflows. It also led to designing my online course to help people get and stay organized.

Five years is an unusual length of time for any piece of consumer tech to stay in active rotation. What’s actually keeping the A5 X out of a drawer?

This is both an easy and hard question at the same time. As I mentioned in my recent 5 Years with Supernote video and blog, the A5 X is probably one of the most well-considered designs I’ve come across. While I love the Manta, I really admired the faux leather cover on the A5 X and the mechanical rail system for the folio. To me, those were genius ways to eliminate the need for magnets and also still feel extremely well made and secure.

I would say that the reason it stays out of the drawer is because it still just works. If I am testing a new beta on multiple devices, I find myself excited to install it on this device. Additionally, I recognize that I have the luxury of multiple devices, and in combination with my Qwerkywriter, it makes an excellent distraction-free typewriter replacement, while still allowing me to work in the Supernote ecosystem.

There’s a difference between a tool you use and a tool you trust. Was there a moment Supernote crossed that line for you?

I appreciate this question and really think it is insightful. Supernote for me crossed that line very early on. As I have said multiple times, I bought the A5 X because it did everything I needed at the time of purchase. I was looking for a specific set of tools and functions, and it delivered on all of them. So, trust came pretty quickly. The system just worked.

If I had to pick the most transformative feature, it would be the launch of the partner apps. While I use Supernote Cloud on the web (and still do), the desktop and mobile apps are brilliant and make sharing information and documents much easier.

You’ve gone deep on the software, what’s the most underrated thing Supernote has shipped, the one you wish more people understood?

This one is easy, well almost. The first thing that comes to mind is the Digest. The first iteration of the Digest was something I thought was great, but I could not really find my use case for it. However, the reimagined Digest allows you to truly collect any kind of information using global copy/paste, document scanning, EPUBs, notes, and just manual entry. That combined with the interoperability mentioned in the partner apps just catapults Supernote ahead when talking about the research implications for the devices.

Part II: The Mind

The phrase "Organizing for Change" is unusual for a tech channel. What does it actually mean to you, said plainly?

Thank you for asking this, and frankly it gets asked a lot. When I started my channel, and still in some ways, it was not meant to be a technology channel. I had no plans to review devices or to really give recommendations. I started by talking about what it means to get organized and how you can do that effectively in a digital world. I did this by highlighting the tools I used in my everyday life.

However, much of that didn't gain traction until I started sharing my process using Supernote and how it enhances my workflow. Frankly, I would still be talking exclusively about the A5 X if it was the only device I owned. I am thankful for the partnership that has allowed me to share my thoughts on other devices.

A lot of "Second Brain" content is really repackaged productivity culture. What separates an organizational system that lasts from one that’s just well-marketed?

I think about this a lot. I obviously cannot take credit for developing the term or concept of a second brain system. What I can say is that when I was exposed to creators like Nick Milo and Dan Berg, they gave voice to the way I think. I also realized that as I age, I cannot retain and recall as much information in real-time as I previously did.

I would say that the biggest misconception about an organizational system is that there is "one right way." There definitely is not, and instead, there is a way for you to co-develop your own method. You usually start by seeing great examples (JB Glossinger at Morning Coach is another) and then finding your own path. Just copying someone else’s approach does not inspire true commitment and ownership. Once you find the approach for you (or a mixture of a few), it basically becomes lightning in a bottle, and you harness a power you never knew you had.

You’ve taught organization systems to thousands. What’s the most common mistake people make in their first year of trying to build a system?

I don’t want to overstate my own importance here. I am lucky enough to have a growing YouTube channel and learners enrolled in my course, but I can definitely tell you what I have seen (and been guilty of) as the most common mistake in my opinion. It is not giving it a fair chance and sticking with it.

Too often, you get all excited about a new process or piece of technology, and you think it will change your life. You dive in and try to maximize it. However, once it becomes hard or you run up against roadblocks, oftentimes you revert to old habits or give up on the system. The reality is that it may just be that you need to make a modification or course correction to make that system valuable to you. It’s also important to start small and not try to go from 0 to 100 all at once. Complexity is often overrated.

People talk about distraction-free like it’s a feature you turn on. What does distraction-free actually mean once it’s a way of life?

I will not ever claim to be an expert here. Our world, nations, cities, communities, and families are always going to provide ample room for distraction. Distractions are a part of life and quite frankly are not limited to technology.

However, there are times when you really need to be able to disconnect and think. Supernote, and before that paper and pencil, gave me that space. I could be present in the moment and not have a laptop in front of me as a barrier between me and who I was talking to. Additionally, there is something to be said for a device that is not always trying to command your attention with notifications or updates. There is a time and place for those devices as well, and even if you can use Do Not Disturb or airplane mode, the nature of those devices is to have “everything” at your fingertips. The beauty of an E Ink device, especially Supernote, is that there are no notifications or endless possibilities. It is specifically designed to be intentional.

Part III: The Industry

Modularity and repairability don’t usually win on a spec sheet. Do you think the market is starting to reward this thinking, or are we still talking to ourselves?

This is difficult because I believe you are right. Modularity is a hard concept, especially in the current reality with planned obsolescence. I remember when the Nomad came out and the absolute giddiness I felt as someone who used to be able to order and replace my laptop and phone batteries.

I also believe Supernote is leading the way in this regard, being well ahead of regulations requiring this sort of approach. To the point of whether the market is ready, I hope so. I really hope that this becomes a trend. The true test will be when the newer versions of internal chipsets and batteries are made available and people begin to upgrade devices. If they choose instead to buy a new device, that will give a good indication as to where the market is.

With InkHub and Plugins, Supernote has gone from a device to a platform. What does that shift change for the E Ink community?

The word community is the key here. There are many companies that communicate, some exceedingly well, with their user base, but I have personally never seen the level of engagement that is provided with Supernote. InkHub and Plugins are probably most closely related to my engagement with Obsidian.

The idea that you are allowing developers and users to work side by side and help build out the features and tools they need, not as apps, but using the actual User Interface is amazing and trailblazing. Yes, it may be a little messy at first, but in the end, it has the potential to completely disrupt the market and continue to push meaningful innovation forward.

The hardest question, what does Supernote get wrong? Where do you think we have a blind spot?

This is a great question, and it is one of the reasons that for me Supernote is so successful. You actually ask for feedback, from everyone. That being said, there are some issues that I do believe might be a blind spot.

One is the fact that the interface between Supernote Cloud is not unified with the desktop and mobile apps. Unifying that UI would make the platform more approachable and understandable, especially for new users. Another, which I know is under development, would be an overhaul of the calendar. While already great, being able to see multiple calendars, ToDo integration, see both opened and created daily notes, and being able to write on the daily view, would truly make it best in class.

Again, these are my opinions, and other things such as split screen or a native dictionary in the reader might be more important to others. I would say that getting a more seamless experience in the document experience regarding zooming and formatting would be useful. Not being able to change formatting after an annotation is made can be frustrating.

You’ve had thoughtful conversations with our team. What does a healthy creator-brand relationship look like?

What I admire most about the relationship and conversations I have had with the team over the last five years is that they aren’t just because I am a creator (which still feels weird to say), but because I am a customer and even before the first device was ever sent for me to review, there was a dialogue and real sense of mutual respect. Whether it is Mulan or hex2asc on Reddit, Mao on the marketing team, or technical support, I feel like my input is heard and valued.

I also appreciate that there is no pressure to say certain things or conform my opinions to fit a narrative. To me, that is a successful relationship where the creator can tell the story through their own eyes without feeling constrained by a set of deliverables.

Part IV: The Future

You’ve worked across libraries, higher edu, and non-profits. Where do you think the long-term bet is for institutions that care about deep, careful thinking?

The biggest issue when we are talking about deep, careful thinking is reinforcing the why. Too often, we get caught up in the new gadget or fastest productivity tools that will help us get more done. We don’t take the time to be deliberate or listen as much.

I truly believe that long-term, there is going to need to be more deliberation and dialogue. We are starting to see some of this happening in universities, K-12 education, and other institutions where a return to paper or low-tech environments is having a resurgence. Additionally, you even see handwriting being reintroduced in some cases. For me, understanding when to introduce technology, and pairing it with intentional purpose, is the key for long-term success.

What role does a quiet, focused device play in a world of ubiquitous AI and contested attention?

Building on my last point, I see a very important role for this type of device. Intentional technology is not just about selecting the best phone, PC, or tablet. Instead, it is about picking the right tool for the job, while also recognizing that if a device can do everything, it usually means it can only do some of it really well, or potentially all of it "not so great."

As educators and as a society, we need to consider where AI and other technologies should be introduced, while also understanding the need for other modes of creativity and learning. While AI has great potential, the most impressive supercomputers in the world are the human brain. Taking the time to activate our own potential and struggling to create new things is what allows us to truly adapt, grow, and change.

If a stranger picks up a Supernote in 2031 and asks why anyone would still write by hand, what should the answer be?

First, let me say that this is something I hope to never encounter. I am hopeful that we will see value in understanding the very real and tactile nature of writing. As mentioned before, some educational institutions are reintroducing handwriting. Even if it is not cursive, at least learning how to write and the process of note-taking is very important. Literacy is very important and does not just mean reading, but writing, dealing with technology, and even AI.

I would hopefully be able to make some of the arguments I did throughout this interview, reinforcing the personal nature of you, a pen, and your thoughts. Perhaps sharing the story of the impersonal nature of a recorded conversation, or two people talking to each other with two laptop screens between them.

Last one, what’s something you’ve never quite said on YouTube or your blog that you’d want a reader of this piece to know about you?

This is hard, because I definitely have said a lot on YouTube. However, I would say that I feel my drive to be organized and share my stories come directly from my life experiences. Growing up, my family did not have a lot, but we had each other. I started working part-time during the summers when I was nine years old and have not stopped working hard since.

That desire to succeed and to constantly do better drove me to learn new things, and to work to make those dreams a reality. I was also very fortunate to have a loving family, find my wife Melissa, and have my four boys. Whether it was tinkering with computers in the ‘80s and ‘90s or experimenting with AI now, I hope to always continue to be curious.

Thank you for providing the opportunity to share my story.

We’re grateful to Ed for five years of careful thinking, generous feedback, and partnership, and for sharing this story with our community. Here’s to the next five.