Arche (ἀρχή) — First Principles

One of the earliest known proponents of first principles was Aristotle, who used the term “arche” to refer to the most basic and fundamental principles from which all other knowledge can be derived.

Arche en plein cintre du pont génois de Pianella à Ota

The term “arche” (ἀρχή)

In ancient Greek philosophy, the term “arche” (ἀρχή) referred to the first principles or origins of things. The concept of arche was mentioned by various Greek philosophers, including Anaximander, Thales, and Heraclitus. Aristotle expanded on this idea and used the term “arche” to refer to the most basic and fundamental principles from which all other knowledge can be derived. He believed that these first principles were necessary for understanding the world and that they could be discovered through careful observation and analysis.

Aristotelian arche ✋

“The School of Athens,” by Raphael. Vatican Museums

Aristotle (depicted on the right-center of the Raphael’s “The Schoold of Athens” painting) used the term “arche” to refer to the most basic and fundamental principles from which all other knowledge can be derived. He believed that these first principles were necessary for understanding the world and that they could be discovered through careful observation and analysis.

🍀 ARCHE

For Aristotle, the four primary arche were 1) the material cause (what something is made of), 2) the formal cause (its shape, structure or design), 3) the efficient cause (the force that brings it into being), and 4) the final cause (its purpose or goal). He believed that by understanding these arche, one could gain a deeper understanding of the natural world and the principles that govern it. Here is popular example of dining table arche:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Four_causes

B2B ARCHE

Let’s explore Aristotle’s four primary arche and provide relevant examples in the context of B2B SaaS product development.

1. Material Cause: The material cause can be thought of as the underlying technology stack or infrastructure upon which the product is built. For example, the material cause of a SaaS product might include the programming languages, frameworks, databases, and cloud infrastructure used to develop and host the product. For example AWS provides a comprehensive cloud infrastructure platform that serves as the material cause for numerous B2B SaaS products. It offers a wide range of services and technologies that developers can utilize as the foundation for building their SaaS products.
2. Formal Cause: The formal cause can be seen as the product’s user interface (UI) and user experience (UX) design. The formal cause encompasses the visual aesthetics, layout, navigation, and overall design principles that shape how users interact with the product. A good example is Slack that places significant emphasis on its formal cause by providing a clean and intuitive user interface, efficient messaging channels, customizable notifications, and advanced search capabilities. Its design principles prioritize ease of use and seamless team collaboration.
3. Efficient Cause: The efficient cause can be seen as the development methodologies, processes, and workflows followed to create and update the product. This includes activities such as agile development, continuous integration and deployment, and collaborative development practices. Jira is a project management and issue tracking tool that embodies efficient cause in B2B SaaS product development. It follows agile methodologies, allowing teams to manage projects, track progress, assign tasks, and facilitate collaboration using Scrum or Kanban boards, thereby enabling efficient and iterative development processes.
4. Final Cause: The final cause can be seen as the value or problem-solving capability that the product offers to its customers. For example, a B2B SaaS product might aim to provide efficient project management, enhanced communication and collaboration, or streamlined sales processes as its final cause. Salesforce is a leading CRM platform that exemplifies the final cause in B2B SaaS. It aims to help businesses improve their customer relationships, streamline sales processes, and drive revenue growth. Salesforce provides a wide range of CRM functionalities and customizable features that align with the final cause of enhancing customer management and sales effectiveness.

Based on the examples provided, we can draw some important conclusions about the application of Aristotle’s four causes in B2B SaaS products. Successful B2B SaaS products take a holistic approach, incorporating multiple causes into their development process. They consider the material cause, encompassing the technology stack and infrastructure. They also prioritize the formal cause, emphasizing user-centric design and creating intuitive interfaces. Furthermore, they embrace the efficient cause by adopting agile development methodologies, facilitating iterative processes and collaboration. Finally, these products have a clear final cause, aiming to deliver value to customers by addressing specific pain points and improving business processes. By considering all these causes, companies can create robust and impactful B2B SaaS products that provide tangible value, enhance user experience, and address critical business needs.