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Folder Structure

TL;DR

Five numbered folders (00 through 99) mirror the workflow: capture, process, work, reference, system. Each theme gets a subfolder with its own claude.md for context-specific AI behaviour. Moving a file between folders is the processing step.

What

QM organises all content in a numbered-prefix folder hierarchy. Five top-level folders, each prefixed with a two-digit number. The prefix determines sort order, and sort order matches workflow order: capture (00) to process (01) to work (02) to reference (03) to system (99).

Why

Numbered prefixes solve two problems at once. First, they force consistent ordering across every file browser, terminal listing, and Obsidian sidebar. Second, they signal workflow stage. When you see a file in 00_Inbox/, you know it hasn't been processed. When it's in 02_Themes/, it has a home. No ambiguity.

How

File Lifecycle

Content flows through folders as it moves from raw capture to permanent reference:

stateDiagram-v2
    direction LR
    [*] --> 00_Inbox: Capture
    00_Inbox --> 01_Todos: Extract tasks
    00_Inbox --> 02_Themes: Route to theme
    00_Inbox --> 03_Reference: File as reference
    01_Todos --> 02_Themes: Work on task
    02_Themes --> 03_Reference: Archive completed work
    00_Inbox --> 99_System: Archive original
    02_Themes --> 99_System: Log processed output

    state 00_Inbox {
        direction TB
        Transcripts
        Emails
        Voice_captures
    }
    state 02_Themes {
        direction TB
        meetings
        context
        processed
    }

Moving a file between folders is the processing step. The numbered prefixes encode workflow stage.

Top-Level Folders

Folder Purpose Update Cadence
00_Inbox/ Landing zone. Unprocessed transcripts, emails, captures. Multiple times daily
01_Todos/ Task management. Single source of truth (tasks.md) plus AI-generated views. Daily
02_Themes/ Active work themes. One subfolder per theme (project-a, project-b, etc.). Per session
03_Reference/ Static reference materials. Templates, guides, policies. Rarely
99_System/ System files. Search indexes, logs, processed archives. Automated

Theme Structure

Each theme folder follows a standard layout:

02_Themes/[theme-name]/
    claude.md           # Theme-specific instructions for Claude
    status.md           # Now / Next / Blockers / Decisions
    meetings/           # Meeting notes (YYYY-MM-DD_topic.md)
    context/            # Strategic context docs, frameworks
    processed/          # Synthesised outputs from transcripts
    emails/             # Email drafts and threads

The claude.md file is critical. When Claude Code works within a theme, it reads this file for theme-specific rules, terminology, and constraints. This is how a single AI assistant behaves differently when working on a client project versus a personal one.

The .claude/ Directory

Claude Code's own configuration lives at the vault root:

.claude/
    skills/             # SKILL.md files (one per skill)
    hooks/              # Shell scripts (session-start, session-stop, post-write)
    rules/              # Additional rule files
    settings.json       # Hook wiring, permissions

Memory Directory

Memory files live in Claude Code's project-scoped auto-memory directory, outside the vault itself. This keeps persistent memory separate from working content. See Memory System for details.

Key Insight

The folder structure is the workflow. Moving a file from 00_Inbox/ to 02_Themes/project-a/processed/ isn't just filing - it's processing. The structure enforces discipline without requiring discipline.

Customisation Points

  • Add themes by creating a subfolder in 02_Themes/ with at least a claude.md
  • Add inbox sources by creating subfolders in 00_Inbox/ (e.g., macwhisper/, email-exports/)
  • Adjust theme structure to fit your domain - the subfolders are conventions, not hard requirements
  • Rename prefixes if you prefer different ordering, but keep the numbered-prefix pattern