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first principles

Here’s a more detailed 7-step process for first principles thinking:

  1. Define the Problem Clearly:

  2. Begin by clearly understanding and stating the problem you're trying to solve or the question you're investigating.

  3. Gather Existing Knowledge and Assumptions:

  4. Identify the current information, beliefs, or practices around this issue. What do people generally assume is true?

  5. Challenge Every Assumption:

  6. Systematically question these assumptions. Ask yourself why things are done a certain way and if these assumptions are necessary or true.

  7. Break Down the Problem to its Basic Elements:

  8. Isolate the most fundamental truths that are objectively verifiable and undeniable. Strip away any excess complexity to get to the root of the issue.

  9. Understand Why These Fundamentals are True:

  10. Validate why the basic elements you've identified are true. Are they based on evidence, or are they assumptions that you mistakenly accepted?

  11. Reconstruct from First Principles:

  12. Build your understanding or solution from the ground up, using only the core truths identified in the previous steps. Work upwards logically without letting conventional thinking influence your approach.

  13. Develop and Test New Solutions:

  14. Once you’ve restructured the problem using first principles, brainstorm novel solutions and test them rigorously. The goal is to arrive at approaches that are more efficient, innovative, or accurate based on your fresh understanding.

This expanded process encourages deeper analysis and critical thinking at each step.