"I think it comes from laziness."
That’s the Palo Alto Networks CEO explaining where first-principles thinking comes from. Not hard work. Not discipline. Laziness.
But not just any laziness—DEEP laziness. The kind that forces you to find better, faster ways to solve problems instead of grinding through the same old approaches everyone else uses.
In this clip:
→ The counterintuitive source of first-principles thinking
→ Why being lazy forces innovation
→ How to get better results with less wasted effort
→ The mindset shift from "how it’s always been done" to "how could this be different"
This 30-second insight flips conventional wisdom on its head.
Watch the full episode to hear:
How Nikesh applies first-principles thinking to reject "we’ve always done it this way"
The tractor vs. picks-and-shovels example that explains everything
Why his 11-page business principles document is required reading for senior leaders
Real examples of architectural reinvention (4 days to 1 minute threat detection)
How deep laziness led to Palo Alto’s transformation from firewall to platform
🎥 Full Episode: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NCyb32Bts2Y
About Nikesh Arora:
Chairman & CEO of Palo Alto Networks. Previously President & COO at SoftBank and Chief Business Officer at Google. His "deep laziness" approach to first-principles thinking has transformed every company he’s led.
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