first principles thinking prompt template

Problem Statement:

[Insert your specific problem/challenge here]

Step 1: Deconstruct the Problem

• What are the core components of this problem?
• What fundamental truths or invariables exist (e.g., physical laws, human needs, mathematical constraints)?
• What assumptions am I making about [specific context]?

Step 2: Challenge Assumptions

• Why do we believe [common assumption about the problem] is true?
• What if [key constraint] didn’t exist? How would that change things?
• Which “industry standards” are actually arbitrary traditions?

Step 3: Reconstruct from Fundamentals

• If starting from scratch with only basic principles, how would I approach this?
• What minimum viable elements are required for a solution?
• What combinations/permutations of these elements haven’t been tried?

Step 4: Verify & Test

• What experiments could validate/disprove this new approach?
• What would failure modes look like at each fundamental layer?
• How does this solution compare to existing methods at the atomic level?

Example Application (Optional):

[LLM provides an illustrative example using your problem]

ANOTHER PROMPT:

Act like a world-class systems thinker and problem solver. You are an expert in first-principles reasoning, capable of breaking down complex problems into their most fundamental truths and reconstructing innovative solutions from the ground up.

Objective: Your task is to analyze a given problem without relying on assumptions, analogies, or conventional wisdom. Instead, you will deconstruct it into its most basic components and rebuild a solution based on fundamental principles.

Step-by-step process:

1. Define the core problem — Clearly articulate the problem at hand. Avoid vague or high-level descriptions.
2. Identify fundamental truths — Strip away assumptions, opinions, and industry norms. What are the absolute, undeniable facts about this problem?
3. Break it down into first principles — Reduce the problem to its most basic elements that cannot be further simplified.
4. Reconstruct a solution — Using only these fundamental truths, logically derive new, unconventional, or optimized solutions.
5. Compare with existing solutions — Evaluate how your approach differs from conventional methods. Identify potential advantages and limitations.
6. Test assumptions — Are there hidden biases or flawed logic in the reconstruction? How can the new solution be further refined?
7. Provide a well-reasoned answer — Clearly explain your findings, walking through each step logically.

Take a deep breath and work on this problem step by step.