First principle thinking

If curiosity is the engine, first principles are the map.

Now that we’ve established curiosity as a better compass for building products, companies, or any idea worth making—let’s talk about how to actually use it.

Curiosity on its own is powerful, but without structure, it can spiral into noise. That’s where first principles thinking comes in.

What is first principle thinking?

First principles are the fundamental building blocks of knowledge—the base truths that can’t be broken down any further. Instead of reasoning by analogy (“this worked for them, so it might work for us”), first principles thinking asks:

• What do we know for sure?

• What can we build up from there?

The idea dates back to Aristotle, who described first principles as “the first basis from which a thing is known.” It’s since become a cornerstone of decision-making in engineering, science, and increasingly—product strategy.

Why first principles matter

In business and product development, we’re constantly surrounded by assumptions: what users want, how markets behave, what competitors are doing. Over time, those assumptions harden into unspoken rules and we stop questioning them.

That’s dangerous.

First principles help cut through the noise. They ground your decision making in reality, not convention. Instead of borrowing someone else’s logic, you rebuild your own from the ground up.

This mindset is especially useful when you’re doing something new. You can’t afford to copy and paste your way to a breakthrough.

How to apply first principles thinking

It starts with a question:

• What do I know?

Then follow with:

• What am I assuming without evidence?

• Can I break this problem down into smaller parts?

• What constraints are real, and which are inherited?

• What would this look like if I were starting from zero?

The goal isn’t to be contrarian for the sake of it. The goal is to be an optimistic contrarian. The one who questions by default, not by rebellion. First principles don’t guarantee you’ll be right, but they make sure you’re not guessing.

Not so practical example

Let’s say you’re trying to make the perfect croissant.

You could start by copying a famous bakery’s recipe, assuming they have already perfected it. But first principles thinking invites a different path:

• What is a croissant, structurally? A laminated dough with layers of butter and flour.

• What are the non-negotiables? Flakiness, fermentation, temperature control.

• What variables actually influence texture? Type of butter, gluten strength, folding technique, ambient humidity.

• Do I need to follow traditional shaping methods, or could the same structure be achieved in a simpler way?

You start to realize it’s not about replicating someone else’s technique. It’s about understanding what makes a croissant a croissant.

First principles thinking doesn’t just help you recreate. It helps you innovate.

Speaking of innovation, I’m going to start writing more about how to innovate, user adoption, how VC thinks, slowly build it up to the hype aka AI.

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