Principles
Fundamental truths that guide decisions when everything else is uncertain. First principles are the bedrock assumptions that cannot be deduced from other propositions. When complexity overwhelms, return to principles. When options multiply, let principles filter. When stakes are high, principles provide clarity.
🗃️ Crypto
6 items
🗃️ Business
14 items
🗃️ Life
5 items
🗃️ Goodwill
4 items
"I think it's important to reason from first principles rather than by analogy." — Elon Musk
Why Principles Matter
| Without Principles | With Principles |
|---|---|
| React to events | Respond from values |
| Optimize locally | Optimize systemically |
| Follow trends | Lead with conviction |
| Paralyzed by options | Clear decision filters |
| Inconsistent actions | Coherent strategy |
Categories of Principles
Principles operate at different levels. Prioritize based on your context:
| Category | Governs | Key Question |
|---|---|---|
| Life & Values | What matters | What do I truly value? |
| Business | How to win | What creates durable advantage? |
| Web3/Crypto | How systems work | What enables trustless coordination? |
Life & Value Principles
What is worth living for? What deserves your finite time and attention?
| Principle | Core Question | Self-Assessment |
|---|---|---|
| Time & Attention | Where does your energy go? | ?/5 |
| Truth | Do you seek or avoid hard truths? | ?/5 |
| Trust | Are you trustworthy? Do you trust well? | ?/5 |
| Privacy | What boundaries do you maintain? | ?/5 |
| Security | What do you protect? | ?/5 |
| Simplicity | Do you complicate or clarify? | ?/5 |
| Speed | Fast enough to matter? | ?/5 |
| Data | What do you measure? | ?/5 |
Deep Dive: Value System — Framework for defining what you value and why, bridging objective measurement with subjective meaning.
Business Principles
What creates durable competitive advantage?
| Principle | Core Question | Self-Assessment |
|---|---|---|
| Virtuous Feedback Loop | Have you engineered positive feedback loops? | ?/5 |
| Snowball Effect | Does success compound automatically? | ?/5 |
| Antifragile | Do you get stronger from stress? | ?/5 |
| Critical Path | What's the shortest path to value? | ?/5 |
| Innovator's Dilemma | How would you disrupt yourself? | ?/5 |
| Market Forces | What forces shape your market? | ?/5 |
| Moat | How defensible is your position? | ?/5 |
| Opportunity Cost | What is inaction costing you? | ?/5 |
| Leverage | How much output per unit input? | ?/5 |
| Distribution | Can you reach customers? | ?/5 |
| Zero to One | Are you creating or copying? | ?/5 |
Deep Dive: Business Principles — Leverage, force multipliers, and the systems that create durable advantage.
Web3/Crypto Principles
What enables trustless coordination at scale?
| Principle | Value to Humanity | Obstacles |
|---|---|---|
| Censorship Resistance | Preserves democracy against authoritarian overreach | Infrastructure control |
| Composability | Combine tools to solve local problems | Lack of standards |
| Data Privacy | Maintain privacy on public ledgers | Privacy/transparency balance |
| Interoperability | Cross-border collaboration | Protocol fragmentation |
| Permissionless | Everyone can innovate and participate | Computational costs |
| Self-Sovereign Identity | Proof of personhood, counter deepfakes | Adoption rates |
| Verifiable Truth | Replace trust with predictable outcomes | Verification overhead |
Deep Dive: Web3 Principles — Decentralization principles for AI-resistant, trustless systems.
Applying Principles
The Prioritization Exercise
Not all principles matter equally for your situation. Rank them:
- Must Have — Non-negotiable for your context
- Should Have — Important but flexible
- Nice to Have — Valuable when resources allow
- Not Relevant — Doesn't apply to your situation
Decision Filter
When facing a decision:
1. What principles apply here?
2. Do any principles conflict?
3. Which principle takes precedence in this context?
4. What would strict adherence look like?
5. What's the minimum viable compromise?
Principle Audit Questions
- Can I articulate my top 5 principles?
- Do my actions align with my stated principles?
- When did I last violate a principle? Why?
- Which principle needs strengthening?
- What principle am I avoiding?
Related Disciplines
Principles connect to deeper frameworks:
| Discipline | What It Provides | Link |
|---|---|---|
| First Principles Thinking | Reasoning from fundamentals | Systems Thinking |
| Mental Models | Frameworks for understanding | Systems |
| Microeconomics | Incentive structures | Economics |
| Storytelling | Communicating principles | Capabilities |
| Investing | Applying principles to capital | Predictions |