5 Steps in Decision Making based on First Principles - Elon Musk's method

+ a video on Step by Step Implementation of 5S

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I saw a video where Elon Musk explains his decision making based on First Principles. Some of the points are similar to the concepts in Lean Manufacturing

Here are the 5 Steps:

1. Question the Requirements

   1. Identify the Problem / Root Cause. Ask Why 5 Times to understand the requirements

2. Remove Unnecessary Process Steps

   1. Remove Non-Value Added activities (Wastes)

3. Simplify or Optimize

   1. Keep it simple, less complicated.

4. Accelerate / Reduce Cycle Time

5. Automate

   1. Standardize the process

Here is the video of Elon Musk talking about his Decision Making:

Jaynit@jaynitx

Elon Musk literally broke down his 5-step process for applying first-principles thinking to build anything:

4:16 PM · Dec 24, 2025 · 188K Views

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35 Replies · 829 Reposts · 3.92K Likes

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