Why We Start With "Why"
If your company is swimming in tools but still struggling to move forward, the missing piece probably isn’t another system — it’s clarity.
I say “start with why” a lot. I mean it every time. And still, I catch myself skipping it.
Because “what” feels like action. It feels like progress. Especially in SaaS, where the pitch is clear: find the right system, and everything else will snap into place.
What Most Founders Get Wrong
Software is engineered to feel like momentum. Smooth onboarding flows, pretty dashboards, integrations that promise orchestration at scale. And it’s tempting — even for teams like ours — to start from what a tool can do, instead of why we need it in the first place.
But a tool isn’t a strategy. A feature isn’t an outcome. At SEAD, we’ve had to learn (and relearn) that clarity of purpose isn’t a nice-to-have — it’s operational infrastructure.
Start With the End in Mind
Before we touch a system, we define the Desired End State.
This is the most important question in our project intake process:
“What will be true at the end of this work?”
Not what tasks will be done. Not what features will ship. But what truth will be created in the world as a result of doing this work well.
This shifts the focus from activity to impact. It also creates a shared target for everyone involved — engineers, designers, operators, founders. Everyone can calibrate their decisions against the same outcome.
End states are testable. It’s a statement we can prove true or false. It gives shape to the goal and a reason to build.
Once we know our desired end state, we define Use Cases. These are the practical expressions of value that make sure we’re building for real needs, not abstract ideals.
Use Cases follow a simple format, and simply put, they’re how real people experience the Desired End State from their perspective. They look like this:
“As a [user], I can [take action].”
Here’s a practical example from a real Employee Onboarding Automation we built for a client:
🎯 Desired End State
A fully automated onboarding process that ensures all new hire tasks are completed accurately and on time, with minimal manual intervention.
⚒️ Use Cases
As an HR representative, I can ensure offer letters, token agreements, and other required documents are automatically generated and sent to new hires.
As a manager, I receive an onboarding checklist template for new hires before their first day.
As a new hire, I am guided through the onboarding process, receiving all necessary details and completing compliance tasks without confusion.
As a systems administrator, I can verify that new hires have access to all required tools and platforms on their first day.
If Desired End States are about what will be true, Use Cases are about how real people experience that truth.
Start With Why — Or Don’t Start at All
You can’t buy clarity. You have to build it. Desired End States and Use Cases are how we make sure every system, task, and tool serves our mission — not the other way around.
Because tools will change. Markets will shift. But your why is the only thing that gives your work coherence, direction, and compounding momentum.
So yes — start with why. Not because it’s trendy. Not because it sounds visionary.
Because everything else depends on it.