First principles thinking has been made popular in recent years by Elon Musk.
The idea is to break complicated problems down into basic elements and reassemble them from the ground up. Instead of thinking based on analogy – how have others done it before me? – you think based on fundamental truths – what are the rules (of the game, of business, of physics)? A first principle is a foundational proposition or assumption that stands alone and cannot be deduced from any other proposition or assumption.
With First Principles Thinking, we stop following what already exists, do what others have done, and incrementally improve on that. Instead, we think for ourselves and what is physically possible. It’s one of the best ways to reverse-engineer complex problems and unleash your creative potential.
There are two common ways to establish first principles.
- “The Five Whys”.
Think back to when you were a child: you wanted to understand everything. Because you didn’t know much yet, whatever your parents or other adults told you, you would ask “why”…”why”…”why”…until you got an answer that made sense to you. There was no further deeper-lying reason left to uncover. That’s what “the five whys” is about.
Regardless of what others tell you or what you yourself believe, ask “why” until you’ve removed all assumptions.
- Socratic Questioning
This is a questioning process that systematically reveals assumptions and establishes truths.
- Clarify your thinking and explain the origins of your ideas (Why do I think this? What exactly do I think?)
- Challenge assumptions (How do I know this is true? What if I thought the opposite?)
- Look for evidence (How can I back this up? What are the sources?)
- Consider alternative perspectives (What might others think? How do I know I am correct?)
- Examine consequences and implications (What if I am wrong? What are the consequences if I am?)
- Question the original question (Why did I think that? Was I correct? What conclusions can I draw from the reasoning process?)
How to use First Principles Thinking
In business, we often copy what our competitors are doing, spending money to be “up-to-date” or focusing our attention to acquire new customers.
Instead, thinking from first principles, what does a successful business need?
Happy customers.
So, if you focus on delighting your existing customers – by providing increasingly more value at lower costs (price or time) to them – the rest will take care of itself.
On a personal level, you may think “I have a bad memory”. This is just a belief (or an excuse) you have.
Thinking from first principles, the question becomes “how much can we physically store in our brain?” I don’t have the exact answer now, but I’m sure it’s a lot more than you think.
This way you can reframe your problem and think of the optimal way – unhindered by faulty beliefs or assumptions – to store information in your brain.