What Are OKRs?

OKRs (Objectives and Key Results) are a goal-setting framework used by product teams and organizations to define what they want to achieve and how they will measure progress. An objective describes a qualitative goal, and key results are the specific, measurable outcomes that indicate whether you reached it.

Why OKRs matter

Without a clear framework, teams default to working on whatever feels urgent or whoever shouts loudest. OKRs solve this by creating explicit alignment between company strategy and team-level work. When done well, every team member can explain how their daily work connects to the company's top priorities.

OKRs also create transparency. When objectives and key results are shared across the organization, teams can see what other groups are focused on, spot conflicts early, and find opportunities to collaborate. Google, Intel, and many high-growth startups credit OKRs as a key part of how they scale decision-making.

How to write good OKRs

A strong objective is inspiring, time-bound, and specific enough to guide decisions. "Become the go-to tool for product teams" is too vague. "Win the mid-market product management segment in North America by Q4" is better because it is clear enough to prioritize against.

Key results should be measurable and outcome-oriented, not task-oriented. "Launch onboarding redesign" is a task. "Increase new user activation rate from 30% to 50%" is a key result because it describes the outcome the task should produce.

Related terms

• Stakeholder Management

  OKRs help align stakeholders around shared goals and reduce conflict over priorities.

• Product-Led Growth

  PLG teams often set OKRs around activation, retention, and expansion metrics.

• Scrum

  Sprint goals in Scrum should ladder up to quarterly OKRs.