How do people actually find good investments before they take off?

People in every comment section I've been in say they got in on a stock months ago when it was at a low price, and now it's skyrocketed. But how do they identify these opportunities early on? Are they using specific tools, research methods, or just getting lucky? I bought in to Palantir at 65, but that was still a relatively high price at the time, and the only reason I bought in was because of my dad. Thanks!