Thinking Methodologies from Elon Musk

Elon Musk on Methods of Innovative Thinking

In an interview with Kevin Rose, Elon Musk talks about best methods of thinking.

He compares a popular notion of thinking by analogy, to the superior method of thinking from first principles.

Musk concurs, “It may be easier to reason by analogy rather than first principles,” but that is not where innovative ideas will come from. Instead one must go back to proven, true physics principles, and build up from there.

Thinking by Analogy

We’re doing this because it’s like something else that was done.

Elon Musk

Thinking in Terms of First Principles

[We] say, what are we sure is true, […] and then reason up from there.

Elon Musk

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