Inventing on Principle

A talk by Bret Victor that deeply influenced Andrew’s thinking about principles.

Core idea: every creator should have a guiding principle — not just a craft, but a cause. Victor’s principle: “Creators need an immediate connection to what they’re creating.”

Victor’s framing:

• Ideas are important — bringing them into the world is one of the most important things people do
• Great ideas take on lives of their own and give meaning to our lives
• The right tools and environments let ideas grow
• A principle gives you a lens for seeing problems others miss

This talk inspired the structure of My Principles — the idea that you should be able to name your principle and orient your work around it.