> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://matterhorn-doc.mometic.com/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://matterhorn-doc.mometic.com/start-here/first-investigation.md).

# Your first investigation

Follow a short Matterhorn walkthrough: open a candidate, understand its score, check a source, compare peers, and save it to a watchlist.

For a first visit, investigate one company you already understand. Familiarity makes it easier to notice an unusual number or an unfamiliar definition.

![Research workflow from discovery through evidence, comparison, and follow-up](https://981865776-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2FNOJXLd7UJBniObM136Nu%2Fuploads%2Fgit-blob-fae54f895e13191478b48dcb7a4788e41548c3e5%2Fresearch-workflow.svg?alt=media)

## 1. Choose a starting point

Open **Overview** and click a **Top 10 Opportunities** card. Alternatively, choose **Companies** and search for a ticker or company name. If the table is empty, clear the sector, theme, market-cap, and rankability filters before assuming a company is missing.

## 2. Read the shape behind the score

In **Scores & Checklist**, note the score, its coverage or evidence-quality context, and the radar chart. Ask which areas support the case and which are weak or unmeasured. Hover a legend label for a concise definition.

Keep **ML enhanced** off for your first pass. You can then switch it on in the header and compare the beta interpretation. The [ML guide](/understand-the-scores/ml-enhanced.md) explains which sections change.

## 3. Test one important claim

Choose a metric that matters to the business: revenue growth for a growth story, cash generation for a compounder, or RPO for a contracted-demand thesis. Read the checklist result and then open **Evidence**. Check the value, period, definition, and supporting source. Use **Filings** when you need the wider disclosure.

## 4. Read Analysis and Compounding

**Analysis** contains the bull, bear, manager, and CAN SLIM assessment when available. **Compounding** shows the basis of the rate, durability conditions, headroom, and demand comparison. A persuasive paragraph should lead you back to the underlying evidence.

## 5. Compare one plausible alternative

Close the company panel, select two companies in **Companies**, and click **Compare**. Prefer a similar business and size before comparing unrelated sectors. A second candidate helps reveal whether the first company's strong feature is distinctive or common to the industry.

## 6. Save the question

Open the company again and choose **Add to watchlist**. Keep a short thesis in your own research notes: the mechanism, strongest evidence, principal risk, next confirmation, and invalidation condition. Matterhorn's watchlist stores pins; it is not a thesis journal.

> **Pro Tip — Finish with one unresolved question.** “Do orders convert into cash without margin erosion?” is a more useful next step than collecting another ten tickers.

Next: [navigate the workspace](/start-here/navigation.md) or [build a repeatable weekly review](/investor-playbooks/weekly-review.md).