What is OKR (Objectives & Key Results)?
OKRs (Objectives and Key Results) are a goal-setting framework that links ambition to measurement. An Objective is a qualitative, inspiring statement of what you want to achieve; Key Results are 2–5 quantitative measures that prove you achieved it. Together they answer "where do we want to go, and how will we know we got there?"
Popularized by Intel and Google, OKRs are typically set quarterly and cascaded loosely so team goals ladder up to company goals. They're meant to be ambitious — scoring around 70% on a stretch OKR is often considered success — and they deliberately separate goals from the laundry list of tasks needed to hit them.
PMs use OKRs to focus the team on outcomes rather than output, align stakeholders on priorities, and create accountability. A common mistake is writing key results as a task list ("ship feature X") instead of measurable outcomes ("increase activation from 40% to 55%").
Examples
- Objective: "Make onboarding delightful." KR1: activation rate 40%→55%. KR2: time-to-value under 5 min.
- A team reviews OKR progress mid-quarter and reprioritizes to recover a lagging key result.
Where PMs use this
Related terms
North Star Metric
The single metric that best captures the core value a product delivers to its customers.
KPI (Key Performance Indicator)
A quantifiable measure used to track progress toward a specific business or product objective.
Product Vision
The long-term, aspirational picture of what a product aims to become and the change it seeks to create.
Prioritization
The discipline of deciding what to work on next by weighing value, effort, and strategic fit.