OKR Builder

Align your goals with the Objectives and Key Results framework used by top tech companies.

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Understanding the OKR Framework

What Are OKRs?

OKRs (Objectives and Key Results) is a goal-setting framework pioneered by Andy Grove at Intel in the 1970s and later popularized by John Doerr at Google. Today, companies like LinkedIn, Twitter, Spotify, and countless startups use OKRs to align teams, focus efforts, and achieve ambitious goals. The framework consists of two components:

  • Objectives: Qualitative, inspirational statements of what you want to achieve. They should be ambitious, memorable, and motivating.
  • Key Results: Quantitative, measurable outcomes that indicate progress toward the Objective. They should be specific, time-bound, and verifiable.

How to Write Effective OKRs

Writing Objectives

  • • Be aspirational: "Become the market leader in customer satisfaction" not "Maintain current NPS score"
  • • Be qualitative: Objectives inspire; they shouldn't contain numbers
  • • Be memorable: If people can't remember the Objective, it won't drive behavior
  • • Limit quantity: 3-5 Objectives per quarter is ideal; more creates confusion

Writing Key Results

  • • Be measurable: "Increase NPS from 40 to 60" not "Improve customer satisfaction"
  • • Be outcome-focused: Measure results, not activities or outputs
  • • Be ambitious but achievable: Aim for 70% completion as a healthy target
  • • Limit to 3-5 per Objective: Too many Key Results dilutes focus

OKR Examples

Objective: Deliver an exceptional new user experience

  • KR1: Improve day-7 retention from 25% to 40%
  • KR2: Reduce time-to-value from 5 minutes to 2 minutes
  • KR3: Achieve onboarding completion rate of 80%

Objective: Establish ourselves as thought leaders in our industry

  • KR1: Publish 12 high-quality blog posts (1,500+ words each)
  • KR2: Secure speaking slots at 3 major industry conferences
  • KR3: Grow newsletter subscribers from 5K to 15K

Common OKR Mistakes to Avoid

  • ✗Setting too many OKRs: Focus is the point of OKRs. If everything is a priority, nothing is.
  • ✗Treating OKRs as a task list: OKRs measure outcomes, not activities. "Launch feature X" is output; "Increase conversion by 15%" is outcome.
  • ✗Setting sandbag targets: OKRs should stretch you. If you always hit 100%, your targets aren't ambitious enough.
  • ✗Never reviewing progress: OKRs require regular check-ins. Weekly scoring and monthly reviews keep them alive.

The 70% Rule

Unlike traditional goal-setting where 100% completion is expected, OKRs follow the "70% rule." Achieving 70-80% of your Key Results indicates you set appropriately ambitious targets. Consistently hitting 100% suggests your goals weren't stretching enough. Consistently hitting below 50% may indicate unrealistic planning or execution problems. This mindset shift from "goals as commitments" to "goals as aspirations" is what makes OKRs powerful for driving innovation and growth.

Mastering OKRs

The Anatomy of a Perfect OKR

Stop writing vague goals. Learn the precise formula for Objectives and Key Results.

OKR vs. KPI: What's the Difference?

Discover how to use KPIs to monitor health and OKRs to drive change.

From Intel to Google

The history of the framework that powered Silicon Valley's biggest giants.

The 70% Rule

Why failing your OKRs is actually a good thing (and how to do it right).

Cascading Goals & Alignment

How to ensure every remote team member knows exactly how they contribute to the vision.