# Tiago Forte

> Tiago Forte is the founder of Forte Labs and creator of the Building a Second Brain methodology - a framework that has helped 20,000+ people in 70+ countries organize their digital lives and unlock creative potential. Author of the bestselling book of the same name (Simon & Schuster, 2022), named Financial Times Book of the Year, he has built one of the most influential productivity brands online, with 125,000+ newsletter subscribers and a YouTube channel crossing 100K subscribers. Known for the PARA method and Progressive Summarization, Forte turned his own struggle with information overload into a global movement.

- **Role:** Founder & CEO at Forte Labs
- **Organizations:** Forte Labs
- **From:** Orange County, California, USA
- **Nationality:** American
- **Education:** Bachelor of Arts in International Business, San Diego State University, High School Diploma, Aliso Niguel High School
- **Known for:** Founded Forte Labs in 2013, growing it into a multi-million dollar online education company, Created the Building a Second Brain methodology taught to 20,000+ people in 70+ countries, Published bestselling book 'Building a Second Brain' (Simon & Schuster, 2022) - Financial Times Book of the Year

## Career timeline

- **2003** — Graduated Aliso Niguel High School
- **2009** — Graduated San Diego State University with BA in International Business
- **2009-2011** — Served in U.S. Peace Corps as English Teacher and Civic Activist in Ukraine
- **2011-2013** — Consulting work in San Francisco; worked in microfinance in Latin America (Colombia)
- **2013** — Founded Forte Labs on September 1, 2013 - online education company dedicated to productivity and knowledge management
- **2017** — Introduced the PARA method (Projects, Areas, Resources, Archives) as a universal organizational framework
- **2019** — Launched the Building a Second Brain online course; amassed 5,000+ graduates from 70+ countries
- **2020** — Secured six-figure book deal with Simon & Schuster (April 2020)
- **2022** — Published 'Building a Second Brain: A Proven Method to Organize Your Digital Life' with Simon & Schuster
- **2022** — Book named Financial Times Book of the Year and Fast Company summer pick; nominated for Goodreads Choice Award
- **2023** — Published 'The PARA Method' as a standalone book; took extended break from Twitter/X after 10 years
- **2024** — Family relocated to small-town Mexico; continued growing Forte Labs globally
- **2025** — Declared 'Year of Profitability' - $2.15M gross revenue, $650K net profit; first YouTube video to cross 1M views
- **2026** — New book 'Life in Perspective' forthcoming Fall 2026; Forte Labs operating as YouTube-first business

## Achievements

- Founded Forte Labs in 2013, growing it into a multi-million dollar online education company
- Created the Building a Second Brain methodology taught to 20,000+ people in 70+ countries
- Published bestselling book 'Building a Second Brain' (Simon & Schuster, 2022) - Financial Times Book of the Year
- Developed the PARA method (Projects, Areas, Resources, Archives) - now a widely adopted organizational framework
- Grew newsletter to 125,000+ subscribers with 80,000+ active readers
- Grew YouTube channel to 100,000+ subscribers with first viral video crossing 1M views in 2025
- Featured in New York Times, The Atlantic, Harvard Business Review, Financial Times, Fast Company
- Spoke at Google Talks, World Bank, World Domination Summit; clients include Toyota, Genentech, Inter-American Development Bank
- 2025 business revenue of $2.15M gross with $650K net profit
- Nominated for Goodreads Choice Award and Audie audiobook award

## Latest updates

- **2026-04** — New book 'Life in Perspective' announced for Fall 2026, based on annual review practice refined since 2008
- **2025-12** — 2025 Annual Review published publicly, revealing $2.15M gross revenue and 'Year of Profitability' success
- **2025-12** — YouTube channel hit 100K+ subscribers with first video crossing 1M views (NotebookLM feature)
- **2023-05** — Took extended break from Twitter/X after 10 years of use; team continues posting on his behalf

## Links

- Website: https://fortelabs.com
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tiagoforte/
- Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/fortelabs
- YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TiagoForte
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fortelabsco/

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Profile page: https://yespress.io/tiago-forte
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-04-22