Zeroed-out First Principles is there is no further derivative. It is essential to the core identity, value and purpose of this product we are trying to manifest. Examination, testing and momentum to delve and dive deeper into the First Principles.
Investigating deep-core First Principles. Using soccer for an example but it can be any sport. If I were to develop first principles to become a better soccer player, the first statement or objective might be “I want to be a good soccer player” but that’s too vague and broad, it doesn’t really give an immediate actionable intention. Maybe the next layer would be, “To be good I need to score more goals”. That narrows the objective somewhat but even that is doesn’t give a good focal point. Going into a game or practice and telling yourself just “score more goals” doesn’t make it any more attainable or actionable. So maybe the next layer from that would be, “to score more goals I need to have a stronger, faster kick”. This is a little more focused because now I can build practices that can help me have a stronger, faster kick. But I can go even deeper than that, as I get a stronger, faster kick, the next level might be “I need to have more accuracy and control in my kicks” then I can build practices to develop control and accuracy. But I can go even deeper still, into fine-grain detail, i.e. faster response, reaction and reflex in my kick, accuracy and power, or maybe even better decision-making at critical points. My final zeroed out, deep-core First Principle might then be explosive speed ultimately is a First Principle of soccer or any sport because being faster than everyone else gives me more time for decision-making and reaction.
With this guiding First Principle, I would program my practice differently than I would a results-oriented or analogous mindset. A results-oriented, analogous training would be something like kick 1000 soccer balls into the goal or utilize a 100 cone drills in an effort to produce desired reflexes and movements through repetition – trying to replicate in-game movements or reflexes and make it mechanical. It’s a copycat method. But an explosive speed based routine would build foundational speed to prepare and develop the body to just do what it would do naturally and instinctually in the game.
Foundational work is forward compatible into results-oriented techniques. Results-oriented techniques are not backwards compatible into foundational first principle work.