I've always been fascinated by how we learn and retain information. Spaced repetition is powerful, but existing flashcard apps left me wanting more - they treat this technique as a simple question-and-answer format when it could be so much richer.
Beyond Basic Q&A
When I'm studying, I don't just want to memorize isolated facts. I want context. I want to understand how concepts connect. I want additional examples, explanations, and related information that help me build a complete mental model.
Traditional flashcards give you a question, you think of an answer, flip the card, and rate your confidence. But what if the card could show you rich context? What if it could include code examples, diagrams, or detailed explanations that only appear after you've made your initial attempt?
Learning Everywhere, Not Just School
I consume massive amounts of content - articles, books, podcasts, YouTube videos, technical documentation. But I had a frustrating problem: I'd read something insightful, think "I should remember this," and then completely forget it within weeks.
I wanted a relatively simple flashcard app that I could actually use without worrying about vendor lock-in. Since this wasn't just for tests, I needed flexibility to review not just the front and back of cards, but related content and context. When studying a concept, I want to pinch out and see the full content of the file - examples, explanations, and connections to other ideas.
The goal isn't just academic success; it's building a personal knowledge base from everything I consume - whether it's:
- Technical articles and documentation
- Key insights from books and podcasts
- YouTube tutorials and conference talks
- Meeting notes and project learnings
- Personal reflections and observations
The AI Advantage
AI has already become a part of your learning companion, providing endless possibilities for how your learning can expand. You can chat with AI about complex topics, get instant explanations, and explore concepts in ways that weren't possible before.
But here's the thing: while AI becomes your external knowledge base, active recall still plays a crucial role in forming knowledge in your brain. There's a difference between being able to look something up and actually knowing it. This is where a no-frills flashcard system helps you retain knowledge more easily.
AI excels at creating the flashcards themselves. What used to take hours of manual work - identifying key concepts, formatting questions, adding context - can now happen in seconds. You can paste an article and ask AI to create a complete study deck. But the actual learning happens when you actively recall that information from memory, strengthening the neural pathways that make knowledge truly yours.
Your Data, Your Control
This is where most flashcard apps fail me. They lock your carefully curated knowledge into proprietary formats. Your flashcards live in their database, accessible only through their app, formatted according to their rules.
I wanted something different: simple markdown files that I own completely. Here's why this matters:
Portability: Your flashcards work with any text editor, any AI model, any processing script you want to write.
Longevity: Markdown files will be readable decades from now, long after any specific app has disappeared.
Flexibility: You can edit them in VS Code, Obsidian, or even basic text editors. You can version control them with Git.
AI-Friendly: Every AI model understands markdown. You can easily generate new cards, modify existing ones, or process your entire collection.
Building for the Future
Repeatedly isn't just about studying more effectively - it's about building a system that grows with you. Your knowledge base becomes more valuable over time, and because it's in a standard format, you can always adapt it to new tools and workflows.
Whether you're a student mastering organic chemistry, a developer learning new frameworks, or a professional staying current with industry trends, the principles remain the same: spaced repetition works, context matters, and you should own your data.
The future of learning isn't about memorizing disconnected facts. It's about building rich, interconnected knowledge that you can access, modify, and expand throughout your life. And it starts with taking control of your learning tools.
Have feedback, questions, or feature requests? I'd love to hear from you at hello@repeatedly.cards