If you work in tech, you’ve probably heard this phrase “First Principles” a lot. It’s been written by almost every productivity whiz out there from James Clear (“Atomic Habits”) to Farnam Street.
What is First Principles?
First Principles is a really useful tool to help systematically take apart large, complex problems and coming up with solutions. It has been discussed in one way or another across the world and throughout history. As Farnam Street writes, “…first principles thinking identifies the elements that are, in the context of any given situation, non-reducible.” This is about breaking down ideas, projects, etc. into their smaller core principles that can help you rethink, rebuild, and reorganize.
Note: This isn’t a simple checklist and will differ problem by problem. It is a framework that allows you to take things apart, test assumptions, and reconstruct. Those things will vary drastically in your life.
Why would I want to think in First Principles?
Here are some indications of responses that might warrant this thought:
“That’s how we’ve always done it.”
“Because I said so.”
First principles thinking is a way to solve big problems in creative ways, question assumptions that may be leading you astray, and gaining a true understanding of rationales.
One of my favorite quotes from Farnam Street’s book “General Thinking Concepts” is, “Reasoning from first principles allows us to step outside of history and conventional wisdom and see what is possible.” You use this as a tool to question assumptions — not trapping yourself in the way things have been done.
Ok…so what can I do to actually think in first principles?
There are two specific actions you can take:
First: Socratic questioning
The Socratic approach is a disciplined process to explore topics in depth. Taken from the Farnam Street book, they’ve identified following this process (questions/responses will vary based on context):
Clarifying your thinking and explaining origins of your ideas. (Why do I think this? What exactly do I think?)
Challenging assumptions. (How do I know this is true? What if thought the opposite?)
Looking for evidence. (How can I back this up? What are the sources?)
Considering alternative perspectives. (What might others think? How do I know I’m correct?)
Examine consequences and implications. (What if I am wrong? What are the consequences if I am?)
Questioning the original questions. (Why did I think that? Was I correct? What conclusions can I draw from the reasoning process?
Second: The Five Whys
This is easy. Just ask “Why?” five times like a child would to an adult before they mumble heatedly under their breath, “I don’t know. It just is!”
The idea of “Five Whys” is to repeatedly ask why until you get to a “What” or “How.” Warning that it can lead to existential angst (e.g. “Oh man what is color?!”) — but that’s something we’re avoiding here.
The goal here is to “separate reliable knowledge from assumption.” If you keep asking “why” you will be able to find assumptions that are based on opinion, cultural myths, or dogma. That’s not first principles thinking!
So what now?
You can use these two methods to get to first principles thinking. What’s important is to remember the “why” of doing this, but questioning assumptions is what leads to breakthroughs.
From antiquated ideas like “Boys are just better at math” we can begin to use first principles thinking to not only challenge the status quo, but bolster our abilities to see around corners and to opportunities. You learn the strategy, not just the tactics.
In case you missed it…
Here’s an overview of Mental Model 1: The Map is not the Land