
## The Big Idea

When faced with complex challenges, the most productive people I know return to first principles - fundamental truths they can build from.

## Back to Basics

When was the last time you fully renovated the way you solve problems, from the ground up?

I've noticed something fascinating about highly productive people: when faced with complex and new problems, they don't add more complexity - they subtract it. They return to fundamental truths and build up from there.

This approach, known as first principles thinking, isn't just for philosophers or engineers. It's a useful tactic for anyone facing a new problem, and can be particularly helpful for founders who are trying to navigate a new market.

### What are First Principles?

First principles are the fundamental truths that can't be broken down further. They're the building blocks we use to understand everything else. For example:

- _Time is irreversible_, and moves from past to the present
- _Do no harm_, a core principle of medicine to minimize risk and negative outcomes
- _Occam's Razor_, the principle that suggests the simplest explanation is often the best
- _Least Effort_, your end users will always try to find the path of least resistance

## Why This Matters for Product Development

This is a powerful tool for product development. If you're evaluating a new market or product idea, you can use first principles to understand the core principles that have driven the current state of the market, and identify gaps that you can fill.

### A concrete example: how first principles led to ride sharing

Let's look at how first principles thinking revolutionized urban transportation. Instead of trying to improve taxis, entrepreneurs asked: "What is the fundamental purpose of urban transportation?"

The core principles they identified were:
- People need to get from point A to point B reliably
- Both drivers and passengers want to maximize their time and money
- Trust and safety are essential for both parties
- Supply should match demand efficiently

Traditional taxis failed to optimize for these principles:
1. Supply/demand mismatch: empty taxis circled busy areas while other neighborhoods had none
2. Pricing opacity: meters created uncertainty and anxiety for passengers
3. Trust gap: anonymous interactions left both drivers and passengers vulnerable
4. Artificial scarcity: medallion systems limited supply without improving service

Ride sharing services built solutions directly from these principles:
1. Dynamic matching: GPS and algorithms connect nearby drivers to passengers
2. Transparent pricing: upfront fares let everyone make informed decisions
3. Two-way accountability: ratings and digital records create trust
4. Market-driven supply: flexible driver enrollment helps match real demand

This is first principles in action: instead of accepting "this is how taxis work," rideshare services stripped away assumptions and rebuilt from the core principles of the problem space.

## Roll Your Own: the first principles framework

This sort of process can be applied to just about anything, from product development to team dynamics to your basic beliefs. Here's a simple framework to get you started:


1. **Define the Problem** - Write down what's wrong or what you want to improve. Be specific.

2. **Identify Core Principles** - Think about the fundamental truths or rules related to the problem. (Examples: "Keep it simple," "Focus on what users need," "Test before scaling.")

3. **Break the Problem into Pieces** - Divide the problem into smaller parts. Work on one part at a time.

4. **Brainstorm Solutions for Each Piece** - For each part, think of ways to solve it while sticking to your core principles.

5. **Choose the Simplest, Most Aligned Solution** - Pick the solution that's easiest to implement and most consistent with your principles.
Pick the solution that's easiest to implement and most consistent with your principles.

6. **Test the Solution** - Try it out! Check if it works as intended and solves the problem.

7. **Refine** - Make adjustments if needed. Stay true to the principles as you tweak things.



---

## Applied Principles Thinking

Mathematicians and physicists are skilled at applying first principles thinking to complex problems. They start with fundamental truths, and build up from there. The best educators among them are able to explain these truths in a way that's easy to understand and apply.

Not sure what I mean? You might dig these examples:

[Equally Sharing a Cake Between Thee People](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kaMKInkV7Vs) from numberphile

[Supervised Learning: Crash Course AI](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4qVRBYAdLAo) from Crash Course


## More on building from first principles

If you're interested in how these principles can be applied to team dynamics, check out my thoughts on [building happier teams](/newsletter/simple-habits-for-a-happier-team) and [measuring what matters](/newsletter/build-measure-listen-rebuild).

I've also written about how [building in public](/newsletter/building-in-public) and [setting meaningful goals](/newsletter/fitts-law-and-the-beauty-of-big-goals) can help you stay accountable to your principles.

---

## Your Turn

What are your first principles? What fundamental truths guide your work? Who are your favorite first principles thinkers? Hit reply and let me know - I read every response, and I'd love to hear your thoughts.

Be excellent to each other,

Mike


First Principles: Your Framework for Clarity

A concrete example: how first principles led to ride sharing

Roll Your Own: the first principles framework


No team is perfect.

Working on a team that is in a bad place can be draining, demoralizing, and even toxic.

A few times in my career, I've been part of teams that were struggling to find their footing - and once or twice, I've seen it turn around. There's no cure-all for a bad work culture, but in my experience, the catalyst for change is often _remarkably_ small.

Something I didn't realize until I had been working for _years_ is that **every person on a team contributes to its culture**. _You_ have the power to shape the environment you work in, and the people you work with.

You probably have a sense of what the _perfect_ team would look like for you. The right balance of autonomy, intellectual challenge, and camaraderie is different for everyone, and it's important to recognize that your ideal team might not be the same as someone else's.

I believe that building a great team is not far off from the golden rule: be the teammate you wish you had, and others will follow suit.

## Embrace the Positives

In crafting a thriving team culture, it's invaluable to draw from the positive aspects of past experiences. Think about the best team you've ever worked with - what made it so great? Borrow bits and pieces from that experience, and remix them to fit your current team.

Here's a couple examples that have worked well for me:

### Gratitude

Cultivating a habit of expressing gratitude can profoundly lift team morale.

Praise resonates differently with each of us - some prefer public acknowledgment, while others appreciate a private thank you. It can take some time to figure out what works best for the people you work with, but no matter what, expressing gratitude is always a good idea.

Being openly thankful for your teammates' efforts fosters a positive environment and encourages everyone to contribute enthusiastically. Take the time to show your teammates the things you genuinely appreciate about their work and presence on the team; that extra bit of love feels great, and selfishly, it feels good to give it too.

This can be particularly tricky to do when you're feeling overwhelmed or stressed, but it's in those moments that a little bit of gratitude can go a long way.

### Weekly reflections build empathy

At Craftwork, we've adopted the practice of a weekly _5:15s_ reflection, a piece of work culture cribbed from my time at Stripe. Each week, every team member journals about what they accomplished that week, they challenges they faced, and goals for the coming week.

This reflection is time-boxed: they take fifteen minutes to write, and they should take no longer than five minutes to read.
The result helps strengthen our understanding of one another's experiences, ensuring that no one's efforts or struggles go unnoticed. They also serve as a handy reminder of personal accomplishments and growth during performance reviews.

It forces self-reflection, and gives us each the opportunity to see behind the curtain a little bit; with 5:15s, we often get to hear more more aspirational and candid thoughts than we would in a typical work chat. It helps connect us better as complex, living & breathing humans; rather than semi-distant colleagues smashing code into a computer week after week.

---

## Fuck the Negatives

Adopting additive team behaviors is just as important as elimination of negative ones.

When was the last time you rolled your eyes or heaved a sigh at work? This is _probably_ a sign of something that's ripe for improvement.

Whether it was a lack of transparency, ineffective communication, or even a culture of overwork, recognizing these pitfalls is the first step in eliminating them. For example, if weekly meetings have always felt unproductive, consider replacing them with more efficient communication methods like brief daily stand-ups or targeted updates through team communication tools.

Encourage your team to be vocal about what isn't working, and be proactive in making changes that foster a more positive and productive environment. This not only improves current team dynamics but also prevents the repetition of past mistakes.

It's a great idea idea to do some introspection, too.

I've worked hard to jettison habits of my own that make me less fun to work with. A wide spectrum of behaviors from procrastination to communicating poorly when I'm stressed out, to recognizing when I just need more sleep. I'm far from perfect, but chiseling away at the these things has (hopefully) made me a more effective teammate over the years.

## Be the Change

Here's the thing: every job will involve doing things that aren't strictly fun. In a sense, that's _probably_ why your job is a _job._ But that doesn't mean you can't enjoy and improve the people you work with, or the environment you work in.

To truly transform your team, **start by being the type of teammate you would want to have**. Embrace the give-and-take of support, ensuring you're as reliable and approachable as you expect others to be.

The most important team I've ever been a part of is my marriage, and the best marriage advice I ever received was pretty simple:

_Always over-contribute. If both partners are always trying to give more than they take, you'll both be happy._

I believe this holds for nearly all relationships - including those with your coworkers. Put yourself out there, be a catalyst for change, and grow with your teammates as you build the team you want to be on.

---

## Tiny Improvements from around the internet

### Oddly satisfying spacing

📐 A design agency called Chainlift has been putting out [explainer videos on design theory](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9ElrcTtAxzA) that are juicy and jam-packed with nuggets that will make your apps look and feel better. I've done plenty of shouting about why devs and founders should care about design - this series is a great way to learn how some seriously _simple_ rules can make a massive difference in your work.

### Beautiful tutorials for music producers

📼 [synthet](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8t3Ep4e_dyE) is a fast-growing YouTube channel that has been creating ~1min videos that teach power-user features for producers of electronic music using a tool called FL Studio. I'm not a music producer, and I'm _really_ not a fan of EDM, but these are some of the most engaging, thoughtful, and memorable tutorials I've ever seen. Why? No spoilers here - click through and spend a few minutes taking it in.

### Tunes is fantastic at the arts

🔢 Here's another music-themed rec for you: Charles Cornell did an incredible breakdown of the surprisingly complex musical structure of a song used on Sesame Street to teach children how to count. Titled [This Song Teaches Counting But Is INSANELY Hard To Count](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TMtGImlEmu0), it's a great example of how easy it can be to miss the beautiful details that went into something many of us have seen billions of times.


Simple Habits for a Happier Team

Tiny Improvements from around the internet

## This is how my day went last Thursday:

**08:00am** - hop on a zoom call with a teammate to discuss Twitter's developer conference, Chirp, which had been canceled the night before. We were scheduled to give a tutorial on building SaaS apps at the event.

**08:05am** - While still on the phone, an email landed in my inbox, from Stripe's CEO Patrick, announcing that there would be a round of layoffs that day.

**08:08am** - While _still_ on the phone, another email hit my inbox. Subject line: "Mike, your role at Stripe".

 
 
That was it. I got laid off.
 
 

If you're new here, it's likely because you saw my tweet later that same day:

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" align="center">
 
 🚨 I was laid off from my job at Stripe this morning. I will always look
 back on my time at Stripe DevRel fondly. Time to unwind and decompress. If
 you are a newly-former Stripe, DM or email hello@mikebifulco.com. I'll do
 whatever I can to help you find your next job.
 
 &mdash; Mike Bifulco (@irreverentmike) <a href="https://twitter.com/irreverentmike/status/1588197009315442688?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 3, 2022</a>
</blockquote>
<Script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8" />

The timeline above outlines a vast simplification - to give you some idea of what happened in my world last week, here's a few high-level events:

- **Monday**: I enjoyed an emergency dentist appointment after a crown come off my tooth during a weekend trip to Philadelphia.
- **Tuesday**: Went to [All Things Open](https://allthingsopen.org/) in Raleigh, NC, and gave a talk about [Markdoc](https://markdoc.dev) to 50 devs.
- **Wednesday**: Drove home to Charlotte, to pack for the next day's trip to the [Caribbean Developer Conference](https://cdc.dev) in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic.
- **Thursday**: Ya boy got fired. lol. In the afternoon, I boarded a jet to Punta Cana with my wife, and shortly after arriving I fired off the tweet above.
- **Friday**: With the help of my incredible better half (Natalie 🫶), and steady stream of Piña Coladas, I responded to a trillion messages from people who had seen my tweet.

My dudes - it was a wild-ass week.

As I write this, it is almost exactly one week later. I've managed to untangle most of my brain by now, and have heard from a _massive_ number of people who reached out to me with love and support. I have probably sent hundreds of replies by now, and I'm extremely grateful for each and every one of you who reached out, RT'd, and subscribed to this newsletter.

Seriously -- Tiny Improvements has _doubled_ in subscriber count since last week!

## On moving on & momentum

You can't control everything in life, but you can control how you react to it. I am extremely grateful for the experience I had - my team at Stripe was truly unique, and indescribably talented. I'd tell my colleagues that working with them was like having lightning in a bottle.

I still feel that way, but it's time to move on.

I was pleasantly surprised to see my tweet getting so much attention. It's the most viral thing I've put on the web to date, and I'm trying to use that attention for good. Since getting laid off, many people have reached out to me who are hiring for super interesting jobs. I've been maintaining a list of these jobs, and will continue to keep it up for as long as I can manage.

**If you're looking for a job**, or know someone who is, check out [@irreverentmike's job list](https://airtable.com/shrbIYV7uOCfQDeGR)

**If you're hiring**, please DM me on twitter [@irreverentmike](https://twitter.com/irreverentmike) or [submit a job directly through this form](https://airtable.com/shraftW1575L6nGED).

## What's next for me

I am endlessly thankful for the great network of people I have in my life. Friends, family, former colleagues, and complete strangers have reached out about job openings. I'm thrilled to say that my next job is lined up already. I'm excited to share more about that soon.

### Now back to your regularly scheduled newsletter...

As you can imagine, this dispatch of Tiny Improvements is fairly atypical. Generally, this newsletter caters to people building great products - I'm a designer and front-end developer at heart, and a serial SaaS builder.

Generally my newsletters include a couple paragraphs diving into a topic like [design for developers](https://mikebifulco.com/newsletter/design-rules-everyone-should-know), or [managing burnout](https://mikebifulco.com/newsletter/burnout-and-stress), a photo or screenshot from my week, and links to a few interesting & helpful tools for getting things done.

If that sounds like something you'd enjoy, I'd love it if you stick around.

If you know anyone else who might benefit from my writing, please forward this to them, or send them off to [mikebifulco.com/newsletter](https://mikebifulco.com/newsletter) to subscribe. Thank you!

Here's hoping this next week is extremely un-interesting. ✌🏾

What it's like to get laid off and go viral on the same day

Now back to your regularly scheduled newsletter...

#mental-health: 3 posts tagged

First Principles: Your Framework for Clarity

Simple Habits for a Happier Team

What it's like to get laid off and go viral on the same day