Reasoning Prompts
First Principles Breakdown
Deconstruct any problem or belief down to its foundational assumptions, then rebuild from the ground up.
Prompt
Apply first-principles thinking to [PROBLEM_OR_BELIEF]. Step 1 — Identify the conventional wisdom What do most people believe about [PROBLEM_OR_BELIEF]? List the standard assumptions and the conventional approach. Step 2 — Challenge each assumption For each assumption listed, ask: "Is this actually true, or just accepted practice?" Mark each as: - **Fundamental** (genuinely necessary, can't be removed) - **Conventional** (assumed because of history or habit, but not logically required) - **False** (demonstrably incorrect or context-dependent) Step 3 — Rebuild from fundamentals Using only the **Fundamental** truths identified above, reconstruct an approach to [PROBLEM_OR_BELIEF] from scratch. What would you design if you couldn't copy existing solutions? Step 4 — Identify the insight What is the key non-obvious insight that first-principles thinking reveals here? How does it differ from the conventional approach?
How to Use
Replace [PROBLEM_OR_BELIEF] with any problem you want to rethink from scratch — a business model, a technical architecture decision, a product design, or even a personal belief. First-principles thinking is most powerful when applied to problems where "how it's always been done" feels inadequate, expensive, or unnecessarily constrained.
Variables
| Variable | Description |
|---|---|
| [PROBLEM_OR_BELIEF] | The problem, approach, or assumption to deconstruct — be specific for best results (e.g., "how urban delivery logistics work" rather than "logistics") |
Tips
- The hardest part is Step 2 — the AI will sometimes mark conventions as fundamental. Push back with: "Is [assumption] truly required, or just the way it's currently implemented?"
- Works particularly well for: pricing models, product features people assume are necessary, technical architectural choices, and resource allocation decisions.
- After the analysis, ask: "What company or approach already uses this first-principles insight?" — often someone has already built what the reasoning reveals, and studying them is instructive.