First Principles Thinking
by sunils34 on 9/25/2026, 1:55:37 PM
https://sunilsadasivan.com/writing/first-principles-thinking/
Comments
by: ripvanwinkle
I've been using codex to design and build a product that is a fairly conventional looking app - think of a gmail like experience - with some delicate synchronization across devices.<p>I find that I need to invest a whole lot in high level design myself to get Codex to create a suitable architecture and make the right tradeoffs. It's more like I am designing and the Codex is reviewing and occasionally we brainstorm. When I tried having it design based on requirements, it went wild with an unsustainable design / architecture.<p>And I use things like plan mode etc. My experience is unlike what I read in most vibe coding exploits.<p>I wonder if I am doing something wrong. Is there a good canonical example of a project built with Codex or even Claude Code that shows how the human and AI interact that I could use as a reference
9/25/2026, 4:13:21 PM
by: trwhite
I'm really struggling to see how to make architectural decisions with an agent. It's great when you're at a total loss for ideas, but when you already have some of the pieces it ultimately wants to drive all of the thinking and takes over. Then it just feels like you're deferring your experienced judgement. I've seen colleagues lose the ability to reason any more without asking the agent to do it for them, because they inherently don't see the point if the agent is going to end up doing the whole piece (and probably auditing/overruling anything they came up with on their own).
9/25/2026, 3:36:07 PM
by: h02
Common sense is not so common
9/25/2026, 4:20:23 PM
by: bob1029
Higher order thinking is more important and rare.<p>An aggressive first principles approach often leads otherwise well-intentioned technologists into strategic / ideological dead-ends.<p>Do we do things because it's the "right thing" to do in the moment, or because of the final outcome that will eventually result?<p>The most ideal answer is somewhere in the middle. I am far more interested in the total area under the curve than a single instant in time.<p>In lieu of intentional higher order thinking, simply working backward from your customer on a regular basis will generally accomplish the same outcomes.
9/25/2026, 4:11:18 PM
by: cyclopeanutopia
Lots of words, not a lot of meaning. What is this post about?
9/25/2026, 3:58:52 PM
by: elendilm
This is one of those things where one can throw around the term "first principles thinking" with relative ease.<p>To actually do it is different and usually comes from having to wrestle with a problem.<p>Sadly people from the academia and the public at large has a hard time understanding what this even means.<p>They equate it with exam based memorization or delegation to authority. Funnily they even think first principles reasoning is an improved version of doing the same.<p>But this is a blessing in disguise as it gives those who wrestle with real problems a unique skillset that can be advantageous.
9/25/2026, 3:33:51 PM