OKRs: Objectives and Key Results
In one sentence
Set an inspiring goal and 3–5 measurable results that prove you got there.
The simple version
An Objective is what you want to achieve ('Delight our first customers'). Key Results are the numbers that show you did it ('Get 20 customers to renew'). Teams set them every quarter, share them openly and check progress weekly.
- 1Objective: what we want
- 2Key result 1 (a number)
- 3Key result 2 (a number)
- 4Key result 3 (a number)
- 5Score at quarter end
Why it matters
OKRs keep everyone pulling in the same direction and make progress visible.
How to do it
- 1Pick 1–3 objectives for the quarter.
- 2Add 3–5 measurable key results to each.
- 3Make them ambitious but possible.
- 4Share them with the whole team.
- 5Review progress weekly and score at the end of the quarter.
Real-world example
Objective: Make onboarding effortless. KRs: cut setup time from 20 to 5 minutes; raise week-1 activation from 30% to 50%; reduce onboarding support tickets by half.
What the books say
“Ideas are easy. Execution is everything.”
OKRs were popularised at Intel by Andy Grove and later spread to Google.
Common mistakes
- Writing tasks as key results ('launch new page').
- Having 10 objectives.
- Tying OKRs directly to bonuses (people sandbag).
Questions people ask
OKRs vs KPIs?
KPIs are ongoing health numbers. OKRs are time-boxed goals for change. You often use both.
References
- [1]
- [2]
More books on this in the library
High Output Management
High Output Management teaches founders leadership lessons on maximizing output through OKRs, one-on-ones, and high-leverage activities for effective team building and organizational scaling. Key principles include managing like a production process, conducting performance reviews with absolute honesty, and optimizing meetings. Compared to The Making of a Manager, it provides a more rigorous, systems-oriented approach suited for ambitious startups.
Out of the Crisis
Out of the Crisis by W. Edwards Deming is highlighted by Roger Ehrenberg of IA Ventures as critical for startup founders. The book emphasizes respecting employees, focusing on process, and collecting and analyzing data, applicable to businesses of any size.
Return on Character: The Real Reason Leaders and Their Companies Win
A research-driven book that links leader character to organizational performance, offering data and frameworks showing how character-based leadership drives long-term results. Startup founders can use it to build principled cultures and trust-based organizations from day one.
The Power of Intuition
A management and decision-making book that teaches leaders to systematically develop and trust their intuition—useful for startup founders making high-uncertainty strategic choices with incomplete data.
Get A Grip
A business fable by Gino Wickman that introduces the Entrepreneurial Operating System (EOS), providing startup founders and growth-stage entrepreneurs with a practical framework to gain clarity, simplify operations, and execute more effectively across vision, people, data, issues, processes, and traction.