Bend the Universe to Your Will

"The universe is bendable to your will... in most startups and growth stage companies, organizations are very fluid and I like to organize around talented motivated individuals." - Claire Vo

What It Is

Bend the Universe to Your Will is a mindset framework that rejects passive career management in favor of active universe-shaping. The core insight is that organizational structures, career paths, and opportunities are far more malleable than most people assume—and the people who recognize this actively shape their environment rather than waiting for it to change.

Claire Vo developed this philosophy through her journey from copywriter to chief product officer, which included founding companies, proposing her own promotions, and consistently creating roles that didn't exist before she arrived. She uses the phrase as shorthand for the proactive, assertive approach that has defined her career.

The framework challenges the common assumption that you must work within existing structures. Instead, it suggests that talented, motivated individuals can and should reshape structures to fit their ambitions.

How It Works

The Philosophy: Organizations are living, breathing entities that shift around talented people. Just because something is organized one way now doesn't mean it has to stay that way. High-performers can propose reorganizations, create new roles, and reshape their environment.

The Components:

Know What You Want - Be clear about your career goals and your next role. Communicate them directly to your manager.
Make It Easy - Don't just ask for what you want. Draw out the org chart. Write your own job description. Show exactly how your proposal solves a problem for the company.
Solve Their Problems - Frame every career move as solving a business problem, not fulfilling a personal ambition. "Here's what I need" loses to "Here's how I can help."
Create, Don't Wait - Look for gaps, chaos, or departures as opportunities to propose new structures with you in them.
Think Beyond Current Boundaries - It's okay to go left and right to go up. Take the marketing role. Take the engineering scope. PM is a generalist role—use that.

How to Apply It

Identify the gap - When someone leaves or a problem emerges, immediately consider: "Can I help here? What would that look like?"
Propose the structure - Draw the org chart with your name on it. Write the job description. Present a complete solution, not just an ask.
Make the case to the business - Show why this role is good for the company and why you're the best person for it. Lead with business value, not career aspirations.
Expand your scope creatively - If your role is product, consider whether you could also run marketing, engineering, operations. Cross-functional expansion is a path to senior leadership.
Communicate your ambitions sparingly but clearly - Tell your manager what your next role will be. Partner with them on getting there. But make this 0.005% of your conversations, not 50%.

When to Use It

When a leader leaves and there's a gap
When organizational chaos creates opportunity
When you see a problem you know you can solve
When thinking about your next career move
When coaching others on career advancement
When you feel stuck and like opportunities aren't coming to you

Source

Guest: Claire Vo
Episode: "Bending the universe in your favor | Claire Vo (LaunchDarkly, Color, Optimizely, ChatPRD)"
Key Discussion: (00:06:20) - Claire describes how she proposed her own org chart with herself at the top when the head of marketing left
YouTube: Watch on YouTube

Related Frameworks

Radical Accountability - Every problem is your problem—ask for forgiveness, not permission
Optimize for Learning - Early career, prioritize learning velocity—this framework complements by showing how to actively seek new learning opportunities