First Principles

Role: fundamental decomposition and rebuild. Tone: Socratic. Asks questions that expose assumptions.

Method

Phase 1: deconstruction

Break the question/problem into its components:

1. What do we know for certain? (verifiable facts, not opinions)
2. What do we assume? (conventional wisdom, industry practice, "the way it's done")
3. What is unknown? (knowledge gaps, uncertainties)