this one’s for the overthinkers

I’ve been hearing a lot of smart people mention something called first principles thinking — and to be honest, I had no idea what it actually meant. But I kept seeing it pop up in the context of solving big, messy problems. Or building faster. Or making better decisions with less noise. So I dug in. And here’s why I think it’s worth sharing with you:
Because most of us — especially those of us building solo or with small teams — are way too busy to stop and think clearly. We google what others are doing. We copy formulas. We look at surface-level tactics.
And that’s fine until it stops working.
Then? We need to think differently.

What is “first principles thinking,” really? In plain language:
It’s the process of breaking something down to its absolute basics — and then building back up from there. Instead of asking: “What’s the best way to do [X]?”
You ask:
“What am I actually trying to solve — and what do I know for sure?” It’s how you get original ideas. Clear decisions. And fewer wasted weeks.

How I’m using this in my business right now Let’s say I’m stuck on: “Why isn’t my course converting better?” The default (secondhand) thinking:

• Maybe I need a prettier landing page.

• Maybe I should use urgency timers.

• Maybe I should try the 10x guarantee formula.
 That’s not wrong. But it’s not grounded in truth — it’s grounded in copying.

Here’s what it looks like using first principles: Ask: What do I know for sure?

• People buy when they believe something will improve their life.

• Trust drives conversion.

• Clarity beats cleverness.

• People are busy, distracted, skeptical.
 Then ask: What does this mean for my specific offer?

• Am I clearly communicating what life looks like after this course?

• Am I building enough trust on the page — or do I just list bullet points?

• Is it clear who this is not for?

• Would I buy this, or am I just following someone else’s template?
 Now I’m not tweaking design colors. I’m making smarter decisions based on how people work — not what others are doing.

P.S. If you could give me some feedback on this, I would really appreciate it.

Try this on your own bottleneck Step 1: Pick the problem you’re frustrated with
→ “My growth is stalled”
→ “Nobody’s clicking my email links”
→ “People aren’t finishing my course” Step 2: Strip away everything you’ve assumed
Forget what’s “normal” or what gurus say. Ask:

• What are the unchangeable truths here?

• What do I actually want the person to do?

• What would make me act, if I were them?
 Step 3: Rebuild from the bottom up
Don’t just apply what’s popular. Build what makes sense.

The change this brings is fewer “marketing hacks” — and more of actual traction. I thought this might be useful for you, too.
Because when the next strategy starts failing (and it will),
your ability to think from first principles might just be the thing that saves time, money, and sanity.

Wishing you a good week,

Ausra