First Principles Thinking
How to think and solve challenging problems like many of the world's greatest thinkers.
Wisdom
One piece of wisdom that motivates, encourages and empowers you to grow.
"The first principle is that you must not fool yourself, and you are the easiest person to fool." — Richard Feynman
Insight
One insight that helps you deeply understand a situation, idea, or concept.
Many of the world’s greatest thinkers and doers believe in the importance of first principles thinking.
What is First Principles Thinking?
First principles thinking is a problem-solving method that breaks down complex issues into their basic parts, instead of relying on traditional ideas or existing solutions. It aims to understand the core principles that govern a situation.
For example, imagine building with LEGO blocks. First principles thinking would involve understanding the basic characteristics of each individual block – its size, shape, and material. With this understanding, you can then create various structures by combining these blocks in innovative ways.
First principles thinking encourages you to question everything you assume about a problem and come up with new solutions. Inventors, scientists, and entrepreneurs use it to push boundaries and create new ways of thinking.
Here's how you can apply first principles thinking in just 3 steps, as recommended by Elon Musk.
Elon Musks’ 3-Step First Principles Thinking
Step 1: Recognize and define your assumptions
"If I had an hour to solve a problem, I’d spend 55 minutes thinking about the problem and 5 minutes thinking about solutions." Let's apply this to everyday situations in business, health, and skills.” — Albert Einstein
For instance:
"Growing my business requires a significant investment."
"Becoming a successful artist means enduring hardship and scarcity."
"Lack of time prevents me from achieving my weight loss goals."
When you encounter a familiar challenge, jot down your assumptions about it.
Step 2: Break down the problem into its fundamental principles
“It is important to view knowledge as a sort of semantic tree. Make sure you understand the fundamental principles, ie the trunk and big branches, before you get into the leaves/details or there is nothing for them to hang on to.” — Elon Musk
Elon Musk, a forward-thinking entrepreneur, showed how first principles thinking can solve big challenges. In an interview with Kevin Rose, he questioned the idea that batteries must be expensive at $600 per kilowatt hour. Instead of accepting this, he broke down the battery's parts like cobalt, nickel, and aluminum, and checked their costs. He found they only added up to around $80 per kilowatt hour.
Musk's smart approach teaches us to question things and find basic truths. By doing this, he changed how we think about batteries. He used these insights to make cheaper battery cells by using the same materials in clever ways. This demonstrates how thinking differently can lead to exciting new solutions.
Step 3: Create new solutions from the ground up
“The person who says he knows what he thinks but cannot express it usually does not know what he thinks.” — Mortimer Adler
Once you've deconstructed your problems and assumptions to their core truths, you can forge innovative solutions from scratch.
Everyday Example
Assumption: "I lack sufficient time to work out and achieve my weight loss objectives."
Applying first principles thinking:
What's needed for weight loss? Regular 5-day exercise, an hour each time. Can fewer workout sessions work? Trying 30-minute high-intensity workouts 3 times a week might speed up fat loss in less time.
Living Legend
One inspiring story of a famous person who is still living for doing something exceptionally well.
Elon Musk
A modern visionary entrepreneur, Elon Musk, embodies the power of first principles thinking in his remarkable journey. Known for his roles in companies like Tesla and SpaceX, Musk's approach to problem-solving has set him apart.
Instead of accepting industry norms, Musk breaks down challenges into their fundamental elements. For instance, in space travel, traditional rockets were exorbitantly expensive due to manufacturing costs.
Musk questioned this and reimagined rocket design from the ground up. He realized that using raw materials and simpler manufacturing processes could drastically reduce costs. This approach led to the development of the Falcon 9, revolutionizing space access.
Musk's electric vehicle venture, Tesla, also thrives on this mindset. He questioned the notion that electric cars had to be small, slow, and have limited range. By starting with the basics, he aimed to create an electric car with the performance and range of traditional vehicles. This led to the Model S, a game-changer in the automotive industry.
Elon Musk's application of first principles thinking not only disrupts industries but inspires others to question conventions. His relentless pursuit of innovative solutions has earned him a spot as a living legend, leaving an indelible mark on the world.
Final Thoughts
Questions for you to ponder and think carefully about.
First principles thinking involves breaking down complex problems into fundamental truths and building solutions from there. Here are some questions that can serve as writing prompts to encourage first principles thinking:
What do I want to achieve?
What assumptions do I have about this problem?
What challenges exist, and how can I navigate them to find sustainable solutions?
Cheers,
Ben Mumme
Founder and CEO of Living Your Greatness
P.S. Check out this incredible live performance by Bob Moses at Griffith Observatory in Los Angeles. The videography is so rad!
Notes
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Great article, Ben. First principles thinking is a severely underrate skill in today’s day and age. Surface level access to information is so accessible that often we forget to think (critically) for ourselves. It’s a good reminder to think about the fundamental truths of reality/a situation/problem, and navigate to a solution from there. Thanks for sharing!