Exponential Wisdom

Exponential Wisdom


Episode 107: First Principles Thinking

August 25, 2021


Peter and Dan discuss first principles thinking, demonstrating why the world’s best entrepreneurs use this methodology to set massive goals. Elon Musk is perhaps the foremost example of entrepreneurial success as a direct result of his mindset, problem-solving strategies, and intelligence.



In this episode:



  • Peter shares his takeaways from his conversation with Elon Musk, which kicked off their launch of the largest incentive competition in history, the $100M XPRIZE for Carbon Removal.
  • Dan gives insights about the education system and its flaws, and why he believes outliers are rewarded for audacious thinking. 
  • Peter talks about the early days of SpaceX and stories from 2001, when Elon dedicated the entirety of his payout from PayPal’s acquisition to starting the now-skyrocketing (no pun intended) space company.