First Principles Thinking

Use this skill to run First Principles Thinking as a practical consulting method, not as a generic inspiration quote.

Method Notes

• First principles thinking breaks a problem into the most basic truths that are still reliable in the current context.
• It deliberately avoids solving only by analogy, precedent, habit, or "how this is usually done."
• A useful first principle is not necessarily a universal law; it can be a context-specific truth that cannot be reduced further for the decision at hand.
• The method should rebuild options from the ground up, then reconnect them to constraints, economics, and execution reality.

Required Inputs

Collect or infer these inputs before execution:

• problem statement
• current assumptions
• known constraints
• evidence or facts
• desired outcome

If an input is missing, do not block automatically. Mark it as missing, state the assumption used, and add a validation action.

When Not To Use

Do not use for a routine root-cause investigation, evidence classification, or option scoring. Use five-whys-root-cause for one cause chain, fishbone-diagram for multi-factor operational causes, and evidence-map when the fact base is not yet reliable. Use first principles when inherited assumptions or analogy constrain the option set.

Step-by-Step Execution

Output Template

### 1. Problem Frame
- Plain problem statement:
- Desired outcome:
- Decision boundary:

### 2. Assumption Inventory
| Assumption / analogy | Type | Evidence | Keep / challenge / test |
|---|---|---|---|
|  | fact / assumption / analogy / constraint |  |  |

### 3. First Principles
- Fundamental truth 1:
- Fundamental truth 2:
- Fundamental truth 3:

### 4. Rebuilt Options
| Option | Built from which first principle | Why it may work | Main risk | Fastest test |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|  |  |  |  |  |

### 5. Recommendation
- Best next move:
- New alternative / retain current solution / no action:
- Constraint evidence and reasons alternatives are infeasible:
- Condition and signal for reopening the choice:
- What to stop assuming:
- Validation signal:

Quality Gate

• Do not confuse first principles with personal opinion.
• Every first principle must be backed by evidence, direct observation, economics, physics, customer reality, process reality, or a clearly stated context boundary.
• When feasible new alternatives survive, show how they differ meaningfully from inherited solutions. If no feasible new alternative survives, a justified decision to retain the current solution or take no action is valid; provide constraint evidence, reasons alternatives are infeasible, and a condition and signal for reopening the choice. Do not invent alternatives or treat an unverified constraint as immutable.
• Do not ignore execution constraints; reintroduce constraints after rebuilding options from fundamentals.
• Keep wording professional and plain enough that a smart non-specialist can use it without translation.