First Principles Thinking: Beyond the Basics

First principles thinking is important for builders, founders, product managers, no doubt! ☀

This, at the most basic level, means breaking down complex problems into their fundamental elements and reasoning from there, rather than relying on assumptions, analogies, or best practices. But what are some of the lesser known aspects of first principles thinking that can make a huge difference for your products?In this post, we delve into the nuances of first principles thinking, a valuable approach for builders, founders, and product managers. Beyond breaking down complex problems to their basics, we explore the importance of distinguishing it from common sense, the need to dig deeper into underlying goals, and the caution of not blindly applying it. Discover how first principles thinking can enhance your problem-solving skills and product development strategies.

This is what I've observed through my experience of building and scaling products:

1️⃣ Don't confuse first principles with common sense. Common sense is often based on intuition, experience, or conventional wisdom, which can be misleading or outdated. First principles are based on logic, evidence, and experimentation, which can challenge your existing beliefs and lead to new insights.

2️⃣ Don't stop at the first principles. For instance, you might think that the first principle of designing a user interface is to make it intuitive and easy to use. But why is that important? What is the underlying goal or value that you are trying to achieve? By digging deeper, you might discover that the first principle is actually to help users achieve their desired outcomes or reach their goals (a goal could be ease in finding a service and placing order, or being able to easily compare prices of products, or being able to get a quotation on a large order, amongst a million other goals).

3️⃣ Don't apply first principles blindly. First principles are not a magic formula that can solve any problem. They are a tool that can help you think more clearly and creatively, but they also have limitations and trade-offs. For example, you might find that applying first principles leads to a solution that is too radical or risky for your market or stakeholders. In that case, you might need to balance your first principles with other factors, such as customer (or client) feedback, competitive analysis, or business constraints.

For more nuances and specifics of product management, I would love to connect with you, do reach out to me for the same! :)