> Markdown twin of https://adna.network/learn/
> Index: https://adna.network/llms.txt · Full corpus: https://adna.network/llms-full.txt
> State is a build-time snapshot generated 2026-09-11 (UTC); nothing here is live.
> Derived from the rendered page — this route has no markdown source.

*[image: Cozy pixel-art study desk with books, a notebook, and a glowing DNA helix rising from the page — learning aDNA]*

# Learn aDNA

New to aDNA? Work through this path top to bottom, or jump straight to the step you need — each one links to the next.

## Start here

Read the overview first. It explains what aDNA is and why it exists in about five minutes — the one page to read if you read nothing else.

[What is aDNA? The 5-minute overview — the problem, the approach, and what a project looks like. Read this first.](/learn/what-is-adna)[Get started Ready to build one? Stand up your first vault in under an hour.](/get-started)

## 1 · Understand the ideas

Once the overview clicks, these are the concepts everything else builds on. Start with the Triad, then branch out.

[The Triad what / how / who — the three-way split every aDNA vault is built on. Start here.](/learn/concepts/triad)[Governance Files CLAUDE.md, AGENTS.md, STATE.md — the fixed-path files an agent reads first.](/learn/concepts/governance-files)[The Ontology The 16 entity types that give every piece of knowledge a home.](/learn/concepts/ontology)[All 13 concepts The Triad through FAIR metadata — the full concept library.](/learn/concepts)

## 2 · Take the intro course

Brand new to all of this? The course runs from “what is this folder” to running your first session, in short lessons that each end in something you do. Your progress is remembered in this browser.

[Intro to your new aDNA graph An interactive course — no prior knowledge assumed.](/learn/course)

## 3 · Practice with a tutorial

Learn by doing. The tutorials run from your first CLAUDE.md to federating a vault — beginner to advanced.

[Create your first CLAUDE.md The best place to start building — a governed file in about ten minutes.](/learn/tutorials/first-claude-md)[All 9 tutorials Step-by-step, beginner to advanced.](/learn/tutorials)

## 4 · Compare to what you know

Already use PARA, Zettelkasten, or Notion? See where aDNA agrees, where it differs, and when to reach for it.

[aDNA vs. the alternatives Honest comparisons with PARA, Zettelkasten, Notion, Johnny.Decimal, and plain markdown.](/learn/comparisons)[aDNA vs. plain Markdown The closest baseline — what the structure buys you over a folder of notes.](/learn/comparisons/adna-vs-plain-markdown)

## Where to next

Past the basics? Branch by what you need.

[Patterns Reusable moves — the Question Test, AGENTS.md routing, dual-audience writing.](/patterns)[Reference The normative spec, governance model, and quality rubric.](/reference)[Use Cases How solo devs, startups, labs, and enterprises put aDNA to work.](/use-cases)[Community Roles, contribution paths, and the Context Commons.](/community)