techniques-first-principles

Build understanding from fundamental truths instead of reasoning by analogy, useful for innovation, challenging conventions, solving novel problems, or breaking free from inherited assumptions Use when: (1) When the justification for an approach is "industry standard" or "best practice" without explanation of why, (2) Before accepting conventions or standards that don't match the actual constraints of your situation, (3) When existing solutions introduce expense or complexity that exceeds what the problem requires, (4) When implementation patterns appear copied from other contexts without understanding their original purpose, (5) Before making architectural decisions based primarily on what others do, (6) When the conventional solution adds components that don't directly address the stated constraints, (7) When the task requires understanding fundamental constraints rather than accepting inherited assumptions, (8) When the work involves innovation or solving problems without established patterns, (9) When the user explicitly asks "why do we do it this way?" or questions current approaches