Is anyone else chasing a story that feels just out of reach?

Hey everyone, longtime lurker here. I’ve been down a rabbit hole for weeks on an investigative piece about digital privacy, and I keep hitting a wall. It’s one of those stories where everything is connected, but the proof is slippery.

I stumbled on this tool (whosonline.net) while trying to map out a network of accounts. It felt like a potential breakthrough, but now I'm second-guessing if I'm overcomplicating things or missing a bigger piece.

Have any of you ever been deep into a report and found yourself circling one piece of evidence? How do you know when a lead is a real key versus just a distracting shiny object? Any strategies for pushing through when the trail feels cold?