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First Principles Thinking

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Reason from what you know is true, not from analogies.

The Technique

State the problem.
Strip away assumptions. What's borrowed from convention?
Identify the fundamental truths you're sure of.
Build up from those truths.

Why It Matters

Analogies preserve old constraints. First principles discard them.
Most "this is how it's done" thinking hides legacy assumptions.
Breakthrough products come from rethinking the base, not refining the surface.

How to Apply

Write down what you believe is true. Mark what you've verified vs assumed.
Challenge the assumed ones. Would they hold with different technology, pricing, context?
Build the simplest working model from the verified truths.

Example

SpaceX: rockets cost too much. First-principles answer — what are the raw material costs? Much less than the market price. Therefore reusability can close the gap.

The Trap

First principles is expensive. Don't use it for every decision. Save it for problems where the default answer feels wrong.