Context within a project?

What's the best way to set up a project but then have different conversations while preserving intel across sessions? It seems like I set up a project but then any time I need to go back to a specific thread, there is no knowlege unless I can find that exact chat. Even though I have information in the project folder it seems to have amnesia about anything it's done if it's in a new chat even in the project folder.
What am I missing?