Our featured article either offers a behind-the-scenes look at what we’re up to at Empower or provides a fresh lens on how to grow, operate or think differently about business.
WHAT NEEDS TO BE TRUE FOR GOALS TO BECOME REALITY
Happy New Year! Before we get into it, welcome to Edition 053 of The Empower Edit, and the first in the new format.
I spent a good part of December in annual planning mode for Empower, our partners and a few outside initiatives. The support those efforts, in a couple of instances, I repurposed a common product development framework and put a twist on it. The result was an effective method to match strategic objectives and goals with the actual work required to execute those things.
The framework? Jobs to be Done (aka JTBD).
Before diving into my spin on JTBD, a quick bit of context on where this framework comes from and its standard use.
What is JTBD?
JTBD originated in product and innovation circles to help teams understand why people choose certain products and services. The core idea: People don’t buy goods or features, they “hire” things to get a job done.
In standard applications, JTBD is external-facing, and centered on users, customers and markets. In other words, “jobs” belong to those stakeholders; not the company. The purpose is to guide strategy, roadmap decisions and customer research.
Typically, teams build up a series of well-structured JTBD statements that clearly define:
The Job: Progress someone is trying to make.
The Situation: Timing, constraints or environment that make this job necessary.
Desired Outcomes: What success looks like when the job is done.
Alternatives*: What people do now to get the job done, and what’s given up by choosing one path over another.
Forces of Progress*: JTBD surfaces change, so there’s a push, pull and inertia that require consideration.
These statements give teams a shared reference point for discussion around outcomes.
A quick example:
When I need to prepare a weeknight dinner (Situation)
I want to get a healthy meal on the table quickly (Job)
So I can move on with my evening, satisfy my family and avoid stress (Desired Outcomes)
*These aren’t explicitly written in the statements, but are considered and discussed.
My “spin” and how it’s been working
The approach
I’ll focus on one use case.
While working with a lean, fast-moving startup, aiming to accomplish a lot in the first half of the year, we needed a much clearer way to match up desired milestones with the cross-functional work required to deliver them.
The challenge brought me back to my last in-house product strategy role, and naturally, to JTBD.
Even though the framework’s core use case centers around the external customer, not the company, I saw an opportunity to apply similar principles for internal execution planning.
So that’s what I did. After seeing its effectiveness, I applied it again in other contexts before 2025 came to a close.
How it came together
So how did this actually come together, and how is it being used?
I’ll keep it high-level, but reply to this email if you want more detail.
Step 1: Opened a Google Sheet (choose your favorite spreadsheet)
Step 2: Built the shell of the sheet with the following columns:
Function / Department
Sub-Function
Product Line / Customer Type / Initiative
JTBD (i.e., a discrete piece of work that needs to be completed in order to accomplish an objective)
Description of the JTBD
Accountable Leader
Job Owner (i.e., the person(s) actually doing the work)
Timing
Priority
Step 3: Reflected on how we were defining:
2026 success and milestones
Q1 company objectives
The product roadmap
Step 4: Based on the Q1 objectives, I took a first pass at a comprehensive list of “jobs” required across each department.
Step 5: Got leadership input to make sure nothing was missing, misrepresented or unaligned.
Step 6 (still in process): Taking all of these inputs and driving decisions related to:
Resource optimization and hiring needs
Roadmap prioritization
I’m confident this exercise will better position this team to make more informed decisions and trade-offs in 2026. It has also created far more cross-functional visibility into what it actually takes to deliver a feature, launch a marketing program, operationalize an initiative, and more.
Frameworks are tools. They don’t have to be rigid. If you surface an optimal way to leverage one for your specific team and needs, I say go for it!
A peek into another entrepreneurial journey. The wins, challenges, pivots and lessons.
MEET DEVIKA SARIN, CEO & FOUNDER OF SOAL
Q: When did you know you were destined to build a business?
A: “I didn’t set out to be a founder. I started my career in finance, and while I always had this feeling that there was something more out there for me, I didn’t know what it was. I was drawn to community building, social impact, and storytelling. I’ve also always been very philosophical and a deep thinker…things that didn’t seem to fit with my day job. During my MBA, I got to work with a few startups and I ended up doing my final thesis on an idea that eventually became my first company. Entrepreneurship runs in my family. My grandfather, my dad, and my sister all built their own paths, so in some ways, it felt inevitable that I’d try too. But what’s kept me going through all the ups and downs hasn’t been logic; it’s the feeling that the idea came to me for a reason. My job was simply to figure out how to bring it to life. And once I started building at the intersection of creativity and community, I felt more like I was on the right path for me.“
Q: What’s the most unexpected thing (+/-) that’s happened along your entrepreneurial journey?
A: “There have been so many unexpected things that it’s hard to pick just one, but two stand out. The first is the personal transformation it sparked. Entrepreneurship has been as much a spiritual journey as a professional one. You feel called to do something bigger than your current knowledge or expertise, and suddenly you’re asked to wear every hat: builder, seller, coach, leader etc. Along the way, you’re forced to confront your own limitations head-on, because if you don’t, they’ll follow you. It’s been challenging, but also deeply rewarding. I feel like I’m finally coming out the other side, more grounded, more self-aware, and that inner growth has been just as meaningful as the company I’m building. The second is the generosity of other founders and operators I’ve met along the way. So many people have offered time, advice, and resources exactly when I needed it most. That kind of support has reminded me that while the founder’s path can feel lonely, it’s rarely walked alone.“
Q: When did you hit your first scaling challenge, and how did you overcome it?
A: “Our first real challenge came when early traction started to outgrow the existing systems. What worked for the first hundred users didn’t work for the next. The processes were scrappy, and many of the tools were manual. We were still figuring out how to deliver a consistent experience while learning from users in real time. As a solo founder, a lot of the early systems were driven by me and that quickly became unsustainable. The turning point for making real change came from realizing that scaling wasn’t just about growth; it was about building structure without losing the spaciousness and freedom that motivated me to start my own thing in the first place. I had to bite the bullet and actually start documenting workflows, automating repetitive tasks, and delegating to others who could take ownership of specific areas. This is my second time building so I am much more interested in systems that can be put in place at the earliest stage to make it easier to grow and expand while also removing me as the bottleneck.“
Q: If you were starting all over, what’s one piece of advice you would give yourself?
A: “If I were starting all over again, I’d remind myself that this is all an experiment. You should be intentional about what you’re building and why, but it doesn’t have to be that serious. I spent so much energy trying not to fail or make the wrong decision that I forgot what a privilege it is to even be here. To pursue an idea you believe in to be part of building the world you want to see exist. It can be just as creative and fun as it is daunting! Failure and mistakes aren’t detours; they’re information. They’re how we learn, refine, and grow. It’s how I learned to trust myself and my intuition more. There’s no version of this journey without them, and once I accepted that, the whole process became lighter, more creative, and a lot more human. This is all easier said than done, by the way. It takes real practice to operate from that mindset and it’s something I still work on.“
Q: Do you have one ask or offer you would like to share with the Empower community?
A: “If you love art or just want to bring more inspiration into your daily life, I'd love to invite members from the Empower community to join the soal waitlist and follow us on socials. We’re making art discovery a daily ritual, and you’ll be the first to know when we launch to the public (along with getting our weekly newsletter highlighting artists and the creative spark). And if any other founders need support, please let me know! Happy to help how I can. You can sign up at https://www.thisissoal.com/.“
Q: A fun one, what’s your all-time favorite restaurant and where is it located?
A: “I have many! But one of my favorite restaurants is Neptune Oyster in Boston, where I lived for many years. I love seafood, and their lobster roll is one of the best ever. It’s super cozy and popular, so if you get there too late, you’ll be forced to wait in a long line. TBD if it’s still as good as the last time I went (though according to Dua Lipa, it is still very good)!“
Want to learn more?
Curated reads or listens that piqued my interest and may spark new ideas for you, too.
SINCE LAST EDITION…
Notes on Taste
Beauty as a bright spot for retail
Uncomfortable truths from a Rippling exec
Generalists for the win!
2026 predictions from 12 CEOs
A contentious Women in the Workplace report
Knowing when you’re being too detailed in the “wrong way”
Listening to the 1929 audio book
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