Research-Backed Prompt

First Principles Decomposition (Feynman Technique for Problems)

Break down beliefs to fundamental truths, rebuild from scratch. Eliminates inherited assumptions. 38% more innovative solutions when first principles are explicit. Core of how Elon Musk approaches engineering.

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Problem-Solving & Analysis

First Principles Decomposition (Feynman Technique for Problems)

first-principles

feynman-technique

fundamentals

decomposition

physics-based

innovation

Variables

Problem or Belief to Decompose *

Prompt

Problem/belief: 

First principles decomposition:

1. What do we KNOW for certain?
   - Strip away jargon
   - What's empirically true?
   - What's assumption vs fact?
   - What would a physicist or biologist say?

2. What are we assuming?
   - List every implicit assumption
   - Which ones are "just how it's done"?
   - Which would experts in other fields question?
   - What's conventional wisdom hiding?

3. Rebuild from scratch:
   - Start with only the FACTS
   - What's the simplest solution from first principles?
   - Why do current solutions deviate from this?
   - Is the deviation justified?

4. The physics:
   - What are the physical/economic/mathematical constraints?
   - Are we actually hitting them or just thinking we are?
   - What becomes possible if constraint X disappears?
   - What would nature do?

5. Compare to current approach:
   - What's different between first principles and current?
   - Why the gap? (history, incentives, path dependency?)
   - Is the gap justified or cultural?
   - How could you close it?

Examples

Input

{
  "problem": "Why do CI/CD pipelines take 30+ minutes in most companies? Is this necessary or inherited inefficiency?"
}

Output

Fundamental truths identified, assumptions challenged, first-principles rebuild showing 2-5 minute pipelines are possible, gap analysis revealing cultural/tooling inefficiencies.

Sources

https://fs.blog/first-principles/

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