From the invention of the wheel to reusable rockets, history’s greatest breakthroughs have one thing in common: they were built from the ground up, using first-principles thinking. In this episode, we break down the philosophy that Aristotle first defined, explore how innovators from Archimedes to Elon Musk have used it to defy convention, and show you how to apply the same framework to solve your own toughest problems. You’ll discover how to strip away assumptions, uncover fundamental truths, and rebuild solutions that others thought were impossible — plus, we’ll leave you with a practical “First-Principles Toolkit” you can use immediately.