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+---
+type: idea
+title: episodic memory builder
+tags: [memory, cognition, app, software]
+status: raw
+first_captured: 2026-02-16
+updated: 2026-04-10
+sources:
+ - sources/ideaflow/2026-02-16_episodic-memory-builder.md
+ - sources/google-sheets-ideas.md
+---
+
+# episodic memory builder
+
+an app that improves your episodic memory by prompting you to recall things — what did you eat for breakfast, what happened at that party, where did you hear that fact. the insight came from the experience of recalling a day and finding it both useful (surfacing follow-ups) and pleasant (exercising memory retrieval).
+
+the connection to memory competitions (like Claire Wang's) is noted in a separate capture about [[memory-competitions|becoming good at memory things]]. this is also adjacent to the [[brain-rewinder|brain rewinder]] concept, but approaches the problem from the training side rather than the tooling side. the [[always-on-ai-assistant|always-on AI assistant]] could feed context into this to make prompts more specific and useful.
+
+**spreadsheet evaluation:** originality 8/10, excitement 5/10, MVP 1 weekend. competitive landscape: Recall (recallmem.com) quizzes on photo-based memories but is photo-centric not text-prompt, Lumosity/Elevate use abstract exercises not personal episodic recall — no app uses personal daily prompts specifically for episodic memory training. simple app concept — could be a daily push notification + text input. research-backed angle (spaced retrieval practice) adds credibility. tech depth 3/10, labeled [ARCHIVE] ("simple app").
+
+---
+
+## timeline
+
+- [2026-02-16] captured in ideaflow — noted simplicity of concept ("just like, what did you eat for breakfast?")
+- [2026-04-10] google sheets evaluation — 8/10 originality, 5/10 excitement, MVP 1 weekend, [ARCHIVE] tier