Richard Feynman and Category Design: The Art of Breaking the Rules

Richard Feynman wasn’t just a physicist. He was a first principles thinker, a problem-solver, and a master of cutting through complexity. His work on quantum electrodynamics earned him a Nobel Prize, but his real genius was his approach: question everything, strip ideas to their core, and rebuild from the ground up.

That’s exactly what great category designers do.

Too many businesses fight for scraps in existing markets. They tweak, optimize, and play by someone else’s rules. Feynman would have laughed at that. His entire approach was about breaking problems down to their fundamentals and creating new ways of thinking. That’s the heart of category design—don’t compete. Create.

1. First Principles Thinking Over Conventional Wisdom

Feynman’s impact on science and problem-solving wasn’t just theoretical—it was transformative. He helped develop the atomic bomb at Los Alamos, revolutionized quantum electrodynamics, and laid the groundwork for nanotechnology. His contributions weren’t just incremental improvements; they were entirely new ways of thinking.

Feynman didn’t accept what textbooks told him. He asked, “Why?” over and over until he got to the root of a problem. He called out flawed logic, even in established physics. That’s how he helped revolutionize quantum mechanics and develop the path integral formulation of quantum theory.

As he put it, “I would rather have questions that can’t be answered than answers that can’t be questioned.” That mindset is at the core of category design.

Category designers do the same. Instead of accepting that a market is the way it is, they deconstruct it. They don’t ask, “How do we compete in this space?” They ask, “Is this space even defined correctly?” And if it’s not, they redesign the game.
Feynman didn’t accept what textbooks told him. He asked, “Why?” over and over until he got to the root of a problem. He called out flawed logic, even in established physics. That’s how he helped revolutionize quantum mechanics and develop the path integral formulation of quantum theory.

Category designers do the same. Instead of accepting that a market is the way it is, they deconstruct it. They don’t ask, “How do we compete in this space?” They ask, “Is this space even defined correctly?” And if it’s not, they redesign the game.

2. Reframing the Problem

Feynman was known for solving problems in ways others hadn’t considered. When working on the Challenger disaster investigation, he didn’t rely on reports—he did a simple experiment with an O-ring in ice water on live TV, exposing NASA’s flawed assumptions.

Category designers do the same when they name a new problem that no one else is solving. They challenge assumptions and shift the conversation from incremental improvement to fundamental change.

3. The Power of Naming and Simplicity

Beyond his Nobel Prize-winning work, Feynman was a world-class educator. His ability to break down mind-bending physics concepts into plain language made him one of the most influential teachers of the 20th century. His "Feynman Lectures on Physics" remain a gold standard for learning science today. That’s the power of clarity in category design—if people don’t understand your market in an instant, they won’t buy in.

Feynman was obsessed with clarity. He believed, “If you can’t explain something in simple terms, you don’t understand it well enough.” His famous Feynman Diagrams made complex quantum interactions visual and intuitive, giving physicists a whole new way to see problems.

Category designers name their problem and their solution in a way that makes sense. If people can’t immediately grasp what a category is, they won’t adopt it. That’s why the best categories—cloud computing, product-led growth, revenue intelligence—are simple, sticky, and easy to spread.

4. Curiosity and Experimentation Drive Innovation

Feynman’s curiosity led him everywhere—from cracking safes at Los Alamos to revolutionizing particle physics. He never accepted a single path forward; he tested, experimented, and played with ideas.

Category designers have to think the same way. There’s no blueprint for a new category. You test a new narrative, see how the market reacts, tweak the positioning, and refine it. The best categories aren’t planned—they emerge through iteration.

5. AI is the Great Reset: Stop Following the Herd, Start Building What Matters

Feynman’s influence stretched far beyond physics—his approach to learning and questioning laid the foundation for innovation in multiple industries. He worked on superfluidity, computing, and even deciphered Mayan hieroglyphs just because he was curious. His relentless questioning and refusal to accept things at face value made him a legend.

Feynman once said, “The first principle is that you must not fool yourself—and you are the easiest person to fool.” AI is advancing fast, but the real risk isn’t the technology itself—it’s humans blindly following existing models instead of thinking for themselves.

AI is changing everything. It’s automating processes, generating content, and even making decisions. But here’s the problem—AI learns from the past. It optimizes what already exists. That means if you’re following the herd, doing what’s been done before, AI will do it faster and better than you.

Feynman never followed the herd. He didn’t regurgitate existing knowledge—he broke things down, reassembled them in new ways, and built something entirely different.

Category designers need to think the same way. In an AI-driven world, the real value lies in creating something AI can’t predict—something original, something human, something that truly matters.

AI is changing everything. It’s automating processes, generating content, and even making decisions. But here’s the problem—AI learns from the past. It optimizes what already exists. That means if you’re following the herd, doing what’s been done before, AI will do it faster and better than you.

Feynman never followed the herd. He didn’t regurgitate existing knowledge—he broke things down, reassembled them in new ways, and built something entirely different.

Category designers need to think the same way. In an AI-driven world, the real value lies in creating something AI can’t predict—something original, something human, something that truly matters.

• If your strategy is based on what worked last year, AI will outpace you.

• If your product is a slight improvement on an existing model, AI will make it obsolete.

• But if you design a new category—something AI hasn’t seen before—you define the future.

This is the moment to stop iterating and start inventing. AI is powerful, but it lacks imagination. That’s where humans win.

The Takeaway: Be Like Feynman. Stop Competing. Start Creating.

Feynman wasn’t just an intellectual force—he was a cultural icon. His ability to challenge assumptions, simplify complexity, and make science exciting changed the world. His approach to thinking, problem-solving, and teaching still influences AI, engineering, and category design today.

Feynman didn’t just push physics forward—he redefined how people thought about it. Category designers do the same. They don’t play within the boundaries of a market; they redraw the boundaries themselves.

So if you’re trying to grow your business, ask yourself:

• Am I competing on someone else’s terms, or am I redefining the game?

• Am I making small optimizations, or am I solving a problem no one else sees yet?

• Am I explaining my category in a way anyone can understand?

Feynman wouldn’t settle for competing. Neither should you. Build what matters. Build for purpose. Build for impact.

Are you ready to build your movement? Let’s chat.