First Principles

Most people solve problems by copying what already exists. They look at conventional wisdom and simply repeat the old patterns. First principles thinking forces you to do the exact opposite by stripping a complex problem down to its most basic, undeniable truths. Innovators like Rudolf Diesel succeeded because they ignored how things were typically done and built solutions purely from the laws of physics. The trap is relying on inherited assumptions. Strip them away. When you stop asking how a task is normally done and start building upward from what is actually true, you stop copying and start creating.

Application: When facing a problem, ask: "What are the fundamental truths here?" rather than "How is this usually done?"