Deep Research

When to Use

• User needs real data on a topic
• Writing a research report or blog post
• Need to understand a new space
• Preparing materials for investors or partners

Process

1. Scope

• What's the question?
• How deep? (quick scan vs full report)
• Any angle? (tech, business, user behavior, etc.)
• Who's the audience? (self, team, investors, public)

2. Research

• Industry reports and data
• Academic papers or studies
• News articles (last 12 months)
• Expert opinions and blog posts
• Reddit/HN/Twitter discussions
• Company blogs and case studies

3. Verify

• Cross-check numbers across sources
• Flag conflicting data
• Note the source quality (press release vs research paper)
• Check dates. Flag anything older than 2 years.

4. Synthesize

• What do the facts add up to?
• What's the pattern?
• What's missing from the data?
• What surprised you?

5. Write Report

1. TL;DR - 3 sentences max
2. Background - Context someone needs to understand
3. Key Findings - The meat. Numbered, sourced.
4. Analysis - What it means. Your take.
5. Open Questions - What we still don't know
6. Sources - Every link, with date and source name

Rules

• Every claim needs a source
• Say "I couldn't find data on X" instead of making stuff up
• Include views that disagree with each other
• Keep your opinion in the Analysis section, not the Findings
• If the user asks for quick research, skip steps 3-4

Gotchas

• Old data kills credibility. A 2021 market size report is useless in 2026. Always check the publish date. Flag anything older than 18 months.
• Press releases aren't research. Company announcements are marketing. Cross-check with third-party sources, financial filings, or user data.
• Conflicting sources are a feature, not a bug. When two reports disagree, that's where the interesting analysis lives. Don't just pick one.
• "I couldn't find data" is a valid finding. Don't fill gaps with guesses. If the data doesn't exist, say so -- that's useful info for the user.
• Synthesis > summary. Listing 10 findings isn't research. Connect the dots -- what patterns emerge? What's the "so what?"

Output

02-research/