new file mode 100644
index 0000000..86dff34
@@ -0,0 +1,51 @@
+---
+visibility: public
+---
+
+# sources and methodology
+
+where this wiki's content came from and how to find more.
+
+## sources
+
+### neurotech startup internship (summer 2025)
+Apple Notes reflections from a summer interning at a neurotech startup. the richest source — covers workflow, mentality, team dynamics, impostor syndrome, and the operational patterns that became [[startup-workflow]].
+
+these notes were raw and unstructured. the best insights came from re-entry reflections (see [[startup-workflow]]) and personal processing notes written late at night.
+
+### IdeaFlow reflections (feb-apr 2026)
+100+ #reflection entries and 47 #operation entries from IdeaFlow. these cover the period after the internship — applying lessons learned, finding new ones, and dealing with the meta-problem of [[operation-optimization]].
+
+most useful: the #operation entries, which capture real-time observations about how i'm working. #reflection entries are more polished but sometimes less honest.
+
+### other Apple Notes
+scattered reflections from math competitions ([[team-dynamics]]), vibe coding sessions ([[vibe-coding]]), and general life processing. less structured than the other sources but contain some of the rawest insights.
+
+### moonflowers.xyz
+published notes at [moonflowers.xyz](https://www.moonflowers.xyz). the [[modeling]] page draws directly from a published note. other relevant published pieces:
+- [a note on optimized learning](https://www.moonflowers.xyz)
+- [poorly vibe coded apps are bad](https://www.moonflowers.xyz)
+- [operation big items](https://www.moonflowers.xyz)
+- [rejection & connection](https://www.moonflowers.xyz)
+- [reset options](https://www.moonflowers.xyz)
+- [quotes](https://www.moonflowers.xyz)
+
+### Joe Hudson / Art of Accomplishment
+concepts from [Joe Hudson's work](https://www.artofaccomplishment.com/) — the welcoming practice, inner critic vs. inner mentor, confidence from self-acceptance. these influenced [[confidence]], [[gratitude-and-appreciation]], and [[impostor-syndrome]].
+
+### direct experience
+some content (like [[resets]]) comes from strategies developed through direct experience and refined over time, not from any single source.
+
+## how to search these sources
+
+- **Apple Notes**: search by keyword, but also browse by date — context matters
+- **IdeaFlow**: search #reflection and #operation tags. chronological browsing is useful.
+- **moonflowers.xyz**: browse the notes section
+
+## what was most useful
+
+the startup internship notes were by far the richest source. the combination of structured reflection (re-entry format) and unstructured processing (late-night notes) produced the deepest insights. the IdeaFlow entries are useful for the post-internship evolution of these ideas.
+
+the CEO's reflections (shared with the team) were surprisingly valuable — they provided frameworks (efficiency vs. productivity, energy expenditure, being forceful) that reframed my own experience.
+
+see also: [[startup-workflow]], [[operation-optimization]]
\ No newline at end of file