Yes, there absolutely is. Think the scientific method: Hyptoehses, test/document, review. Lather, repeat, rinse. Even if you’re only doing this work for yourself, writing down the process is critical, else you’ll find yourself repeating work, reproducing mistakes, etc. And, as you point you, you may find a hidden gem that you can contribute. Again, this is what the whole knowledge-making and publishing process is about.
You are not. this is universal. As I note, you’ll want to develop a process that helps you re-discover your insights when you need them, not necessarily to retain them in your RAM memory.
Would love to see it.
…totally agree RE this. Tinderbox is a tool in the toolbox. I too use many other tools. Not sure I’ve you’ve seen this article–it is a year old but still relevant: An end-to-end Professional, Academic, & Personal 5Cs of Knowledge Management Workflow (Updated).