Break it down to what's true.
First-principles thinking strips a problem back to what must be true, then rebuilds from there, rather than copying how it's always been done.
Question
Spot The Assumptions
“Why do we do it this way?”
- List what everyone takes for granted
- Keep asking why, up to five times
Break down
Find The Bedrock
“What can't change?”
- Physics, law, real constraints
- Separate these from habit and history
Rebuild
Design Fresh
“What's the simplest path now?”
- Start from the fundamentals
- Add back only what earns its place
Source: Lean Enterprise Institute ↗
Ask why until you hit bedrock.