Alan Chan

Alan Chan, co-founder of Heptabase, has been a prominent figure in the realm of technology and knowledge management. Before starting Heptabase in its early-alpha stage, he published an influential article on June 29, 2020, while still attending college. During his gap years, Chan dedicated time to deeply consider his life’s direction, eventually formulating three long-term goals: accelerating human intellectual and technological progress, developing a humane way to integrate mind and body with technology, and ensuring the continuity of the observable universe. His academic journey at Minerva Schools was characterized by a focus on ‘learning how to think’ rather than merely acquiring knowledge. Inspired by platforms like Notion and Dynamicland, Chan aims to enhance human intellectual activities through advanced tools. His vision includes designing and building a truly universal Open Hyperdocument System and pioneering the next generation of the Internet within the next decade. Additionally, Chan has contributed several articles comparing Heptabase with other knowledge management tools like Notion and Obsidian, and detailing the use of Heptabase in various intellectual pursuits such as learning, research, planning, and writing.