Think of Lego…
When one buys a box of Lego, with a picture of what to build with the box’s content, that person will build according to the instructions vis-a-vis the picture of what to build.
The “First Principles Thinking” is like saying:
“Hmm… what are these Lego pieces are for really? what if I take everything apart and start fresh? I wonder what I can make?”
So…
Instead of copying… you:
1) Take things apart
2) Ask Why ( Remember the five “Whys”?)
3) Build again — but this time, you build using your own ideas from the ground up, using what you learned.
Elon Musk and Steve Jobs come to mind as proponents of “First Principles Thinking”. Musk for the Rockets; Jobs for the iPhone.
