First Principles Thinking

Core principle: Strip away assumptions, conventions, and analogies. Reduce everything to the fundamental truths you know to be true, then rebuild from there. Most thinking is by analogy — "we do it this way because that's how it's done." First principles asks: why is it done that way at all?

The Core Process

Step 1: Identify the Current Belief or Solution

State clearly what is currently assumed, accepted, or proposed:

• What is the existing approach?
• What problem is it trying to solve?
• What does everyone in this space assume to be true?

Step 2: Challenge Every Assumption

For each element of the current approach, ask:

• "Is this actually true, or do we believe it because we've always believed it?"
• "Is this a constraint of reality, or a constraint of convention?"
• "What would have to be true for this assumption to be wrong?"