First Principles Thinking

Core principle: Strip away assumptions, conventions, and analogies. Reduce to fundamental truths you know, then rebuild. 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?

Core Process

Step 1: Identify the Current Belief

• What's the existing approach?
• What problem is it solving?
• What does everyone in this space assume?

Step 2: Challenge Every Assumption

For each element ask:

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