An example of first principles thinking

Imagine you have three things:

• A motorboat with a skier behind it
• A military tank
• A bicycle

Now, let's break these items down into their constituent parts:

• Motorboat: motor, the hull of a boat, and a pair of skis.
• Tank: metal treads, steel armor plates, and a gun.
• Bicycle: handlebars, wheels, gears, and a seat.

What can you create from these individual parts? One option is to make a snowmobile by combining the handlebars and seat from the bike, the metal treads from the tank, and the motor and skis from the boat.

Be wary of the ideas you inherit. Old conventions and previous forms are often accepted without question and, once accepted, they set a boundary around creativity.

Continuous improvement tends to occur within the boundary set by the original vision. By comparison, first principles thinking ...