Amplio Foundations: First principles of
knowledge work and dealing with complexity

In complex systems, we need to look for first principles so that we can make sense of what otherwise looks like chaos.

“First principles thinking is the art of breaking down complex problems into their most fundamental truths. It’s a way of thinking that goes beyond the surface and allows us to see things from a new perspective.

Thinking in terms of first principles allows us to identify the root causes and strip away the layers of complexity and focus on the most effective solutions. Reasoning from first principles allows us to step outside the way things have always been done and instead see what is possible.

First principles thinking is not easy. It requires a willingness to challenge the status quo. This is why it’s often the domain of rebels and disrupters who believe there must be a better way. It’s the thinking of those who are willing to start from scratch and build from the ground up.

In a world focused on incremental improvement, first principles thinking offers a competitive advantage because almost no one does it.”

— Source: The *New* Great Mental Models v1: General Thinking Concepts

This segment is part of Amplio Foundations

Amplio’s Axioms

Why theory is so important.

  1. Standing on the Shoulders of Giants
  2. The Importance of Systems Thinking
  3. First Principles of Knowledge Work and Managing Complexity
  4. Understanding Value Streams.
  5. Factors for Effective Value Streams.
  6. How Amplio Uses Patterns

First Principles of Knowledge Work and Managing Complexity

First principles of knowledge work can be considered the “physics of flow.” They can explain the cause and effect of what’s going on in the complex world of knowledge work. They also enable us to deal with complexity by reducing delays in the workflow.

The first principles of knowledge work are like the laws of what makes knowledge work efficient. First principles stand on their own. They are not defined but are discovered through observation and relentless evaluation. Violating them has consequences, typically creating waste and lost opportunities. They can be used to provide guidance as to what individuals, teams, and organizations should do or avoid. Those listed are Amplio’s best discernment of the most useful first principles. Suggestions requested.

Leonardo da Vinci “He who loves practice without theory is like the sailor who boards ship without a rudder and compass and never knows where he may cast.”

Deming- “Theory without experience is useless. Experience without theory is expensive.”

Selected First Principles

  1. Delays in workflow cause waste due to multi-tasking.
  2. Delays in getting feedback and in taking advantage of lessons learned cause waste by not taking corrective action quickly.
  3. Most of our challenges are caused by the system.
  4. People working beyond capacity cause delays that create additional work to be done (waste).
  5. Working on things of lesser value to critical stakeholders is waste.
  6. We can complete a subset of a large item faster than the full item. Smaller is typically faster.
  7. We only see what we think and talk about.
  8. We can’t manage what we don’t see.
  9. Local improvements don’t necessarily result in global improvements.
  10. Handoffs risk a loss of knowledge and information.

Guidance

  1. Use systems thinking. Manage the ecosystem, not the people. Don’t blame people when things go wrong.
  2. Strive for quick feedback to eliminate waste.
  3. Keep workload within capacity by using pull and having a focus on finishing.
  4. Focus on delivering the greatest value
  5. Identify your critical stakeholders’ success criteria and any constraints they are imposing.
  6. Attend to the quality of the product.
  7. Innovate by attending to the customer journey.
  8. Have an explicit workflow to improve collaboration.
  9. Remember that alignment is more effective than coordination.
  10. On a regular basis, reflect on what you are building, how you are building it and your assumptions.

You can join the discussion on LinkedIn by going to What are verifiable first principles and why they are so important.

Go here for a video on First principles and complexity (at the 19.52 mark).

Article on first principles of knowledge work and managing complexity.

Understand the principles embedded in a complex system

Dealing With Complexity

Whatever our approach is it must attend to the human nature of the people involved, the organization’s culture and where they are at the moment. This implies attending to the following:

  • The rate of adoption. Going too slow or too fast will cause resistance and other problems.
  • The depth of adoption. Should you start lightly or go deep into the issues involved?
  • The scope of adoption. This reflects who is sponsoring the change as well as where your challenges are.
  • Be fit-for-purpose. If a framework has pre-ordained practices they may create more effort for the team than is necessary. This creates both waste and resistance.
  • Support materials for new adopters. We shouldn’t expect people who are learning new methods to go on the path alone
  • Constraints put on the transition by the sponsors of it.

Not properly attending to these creates resistance, lowers effectiveness, and requires more motivation to be successful.

Here’s a summary of this information.