How to balance the 'compromise' between First Principles and Practice?

Ah, this is an excellent and very practical question. It's essentially an 'existential question' that everyone who gets things done, be it engineers, product managers, or entrepreneurs, faces daily.

Let me share my thoughts; they might not be definitive, but I hope they offer some insights.

You can imagine 'First Principles' as your navigation destination, or your 'North Star.' It tells you the most correct direction, what the ideal goal looks like. It's the most fundamental and direct solution you arrive at through deep thinking, stripping away all distractions like 'everyone else does it this way' or 'it's always been done like this.'

'Practical compromises,' on the other hand, are the map in your hand and the car you're driving. The map might show mountains, rivers, or congested roads; your car might be running low on fuel, or it might just be an old beat-up vehicle. You can't drive directly towards your 'North Star' in a straight line; you have to follow the roads on the map, consider refueling, and obey traffic laws.

Therefore, these two are not opposing forces at all, but rather a combination. One points the direction, the other plans the route. The key to balancing them isn't about 'who gives way,' but rather 'when to use which for decision-making.'

My experience suggests looking at it by scenario:

1. In the '0 to 1' stage, First Principles are the absolute king. When you're defining a new product, founding a new company, or solving an unprecedented problem, you must apply first principles. At this stage, your biggest risk isn't 'being slow,' but 'doing it wrong.' You need first principles to ensure your 'North Star' is correct.

• Example: When Elon Musk wanted to build rockets, he didn't look at the prevailing prices of rockets. Instead, he asked: 'What are the most basic materials needed to build a rocket? How much do these materials cost on the market?' He calculated that the material cost was only 2% of the quoted rocket price, realizing that as long as the engineering problems were solved, there was immense potential for cost reduction. This is using first principles to define the core problem.

2. In the '1 to N' stage, practical compromises are a manifestation of wisdom. Once you have a clear direction and need to iterate quickly, capture market share, and refine your product, you'll constantly have to 'compromise.' Here, compromise doesn't mean abandoning principles, but rather 'strategically taking shortcuts.'

• Example: Your website needs a user login feature. First principles might lead you to ponder 'what is the essence of authentication?' and then build the most secure and efficient system from scratch. However, practical reality tells you the project is launching next week, so the wisest choice is to use a mature third-party login service first, and then consider in-house development when you have the resources. This is using 'compromise' to gain 'time,' which is the most crucial resource at that moment.

So, how do you judge whether a 'compromise' is wise or foolish?

You can ask yourself one question: 'Is this compromise incurring 'technical debt,' or is it renting 'scaffolding'?'

• Scaffolding: Like the scaffolding used to construct a building, it helps you build quickly. Once the building is complete, you can easily remove it, and it won't affect the structure of the building. For instance, as mentioned above, using a third-party login service means you can simply swap out the API if you want to change it later. This kind of compromise is wise.
• Technical Debt: To rush things, you might lay a crooked foundation or use inferior materials for load-bearing walls. This will make every future modification incredibly painful, potentially requiring you to tear everything down and start over. For example, in the early stages of a project, choosing a database type that is completely unsuitable for long-term business development just for convenience will be a major headache to change later. This kind of compromise is foolish.

To summarize my perspective:

• Use First Principles to calibrate your 'North Star.' Ensure your direction is correct, especially during major decisions and initial stages.
• Use practical compromises to plan your immediate path. Acknowledge real-world constraints and move towards your 'North Star' with the least cost and fastest speed.
• Periodically look up at the stars. While constantly compromising and moving forward, don't forget to occasionally pause and re-examine your current position and direction using first principles, to see if you've strayed too far.

In essence, First Principles help you 'do the right thing,' while practical compromises help you 'do things right.' An excellent practitioner is a traveler who knows when to gaze at the stars and when to focus on the road ahead.