# How to discover

> A working method for systematic discovery, structured as nine steps. By Matthew Hirschey, a Heureka Labs experiment. The thesis: discovery isn't a flash of insight; it's a skill — and a method.

## Read

- [Read the handbook online](https://handbook.heurekalabs.co/): Single static page with embedded flip-reader for the 96-page PDF.
- [Handbook PDF](https://handbook.heurekalabs.co/handbook.pdf): The full artifact as PDF (96 pages, two-page spreads).

## About

- [About the handbook](https://handbook.heurekalabs.co/about.html): Audience, structure, the nine-step Discovery Protocol, glossary of key terms, frequently asked questions, citation format.

## The Discovery Protocol (nine steps)

1. **Focus** — Find the specific knowledge, motivation, and curiosity that's uniquely yours.
2. **Observe** — See what others miss; train your attention on patterns hidden in plain sight.
3. **Explore** — Investigate the territory before committing — survey, sample, look broadly.
4. **Evaluate** — Test what you find. Check assumptions, falsify hypotheses, kill what doesn't hold.
5. **Experiment** — Run trials. Iterate. Let evidence drive direction, not preference.
6. **Collaborate** — Work with others. Discovery rarely happens alone; pick collaborators carefully.
7. **Communicate** — Share what you've found. Discovery isn't real until others can build on it.
8. **Systematize** — Build a discovery system: capture everything, schedule discovery time, make it a habit.
9. **Start** — Perfect is the enemy of good. You don't need permission. Start before you're ready.

## Author

- [Matthew Hirschey](https://hirscheylab.org): Associate Professor at Duke University; Director, Center for Computational Thinking. The handbook is a Heureka Labs experiment.

## Publisher

- [Heureka Labs](https://heurekalabs.co): Tools and writing for systematic discovery.

## Citation

Hirschey, M. (2026). *How to discover*. Heureka Labs. https://handbook.heurekalabs.co/