Skill · Research & Analysis
First-Principles Solver
Separates real constraints from habit in a costly process or product, rebuilds it from the constraints, and ends with the cheapest test.
When to use
- A process, product or cost structure is accepted as "how it's done", and you suspect it doesn't have to be.
- You are designing something new and want to avoid copying an incumbent's assumptions.
- A team is stuck choosing between conventional options and needs a wider set of options.
When not to use
- Safety-critical or regulated work, where the conventional practice encodes hard-won safety or legal requirements. Use it only to prepare questions for qualified experts.
- A quick choice between two known options. A plain trade-off comparison is faster.
Example
User: We're a small bakery. Like everyone, we bake the full range in the early morning. Staff costs for the 4 a.m. shift are brutal.
Result (illustrative and abbreviated; your model's wording will differ):
Job to be done: customers find bread that tastes fresh when they buy it, all day.
Hard constraints: C1: some products (croissants, baguettes) lose quality within hours; enriched breads and cakes keep longer. C2: night-work pay and labour rules apply (check the local rules).
| Practice | Label | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Baking the full range before opening | HABIT | Only short-life items need to be fresh at opening |
| Shaping and baking in the same shift | HABIT | Cold overnight fermentation lets you shape dough the afternoon before |
| One large deck oven | ECONOMICS | Pays off only above a certain daily volume |
Rebuild: shape dough in the afternoon and cold-ferment it overnight; bake short-life items in two or three small batches during the day; bake long-life items in the afternoon. Weaknesses: needs fridge space, and a small early bake may remain for opening stock.
Cheapest test: one product line (baguettes) cold-fermented for one week. Cost: one afternoon shift a day. Pass if waste stays at or below the current level and two thirds of regulars asked rate it as good or better. Fail if afternoon batches sell out before the evening rush.
What is inside
The full skill has these sections. The ones marked “in the pack” come with the download.
- When to use on this page
- When not to use on this page
- Inputs to ask for in the pack
- Workflow in the pack
- Output format in the pack
- Example on this page
- Model notes (Oct 2026) in the pack
- Troubleshooting in the pack
Get First-Principles Solver
The full skill is a SKILL.md folder you install once and reuse: the workflow, the checklist and the answer format written out, with notes for each model. It comes in the Research & Analysis pack (3 prompts · 15 skills · 2 free), with a QUICKSTART, setup notes in every item and 12 months of updates.
All-Access 39 € vs 7 packs × 12 € = 84 € · less than buying 4 or more packs one by one
Stuck? Email support@meevra.com — we'll help you set it up.