Remember when everyone panic-bought toilet paper in 2020? Yeah, that's not exactly what I mean by "first principles thinking," but it does illustrate how easily we can get caught up in reactive thinking when facing major changes. Let's talk about a better way.
What Are First Principles (Without the Philosophy Jargon)?
Strip away all the Elon Musk quotes and Silicon Valley buzzwords, and first principles thinking is simply about breaking problems down to their fundamental truths. It's like having a mental decluttering session – you're getting rid of assumptions and "that's how we've always done it" thinking.
Why This Matters Now More Than Ever
We're living in an era where the only constant is... well, you know the rest. But here's the thing: while everyone else is running around like their hair's on fire because ChatGPT just dropped another update, you could be calmly asking yourself: "What actually needs to get done here?"
The First Principles Toolkit for Change
Here's how to put this into practice:
1. Question Everything (Respectfully)
Instead of: "We need to rebuild our entire tech stack because AI!"
Ask: "What core problems are we trying to solve for our customers?"
2. Find Your Constants
What doesn't change, even when everything else does? Usually, it's things like:
Basic human needs
Core business value propositions
Fundamental customer problems
3. Build Up From There
Once you've identified your fundamentals, you can start adding layers back – but thoughtfully this time.
The Plot Twist
Here's the fun part: using first principles often leads to surprisingly simple solutions. Sometimes the most innovative approach is just doing the basics really, really well.
Your Next Steps
Pick one challenge you're facing
Ask "why" until you hit bedrock
Build your solution up from there
Repeat as needed (preferably with coffee)
Want to geek out about first principles thinking or share your own change navigation stories? Drop me a note on Linkedin – I'm always up for a good "questioning everything" session.