What Is an OKR?

OKRs pair a qualitative Objective with measurable Key Results — done right, they replace politics with outcomes.

Definition and examples

OKR stands for Objectives and Key Results — a goal-setting framework that pairs a qualitative, ambitious Objective with 3–5 measurable Key Results. The Objective is the destination; the Key Results are the proof you got there.

Objective: Become the default choice for SMB onboarding. KR1: Increase activated trials from 30% to 50%. KR2: Reduce time-to-first-value from 8 days to 2.
Objective: Make the engineering team famous for reliability. KR1: Reduce p99 latency from 800ms to 300ms. KR2: Ship 0 Sev1 incidents this quarter.

Frequently asked questions

What's the difference between OKRs and KPIs?

KPIs are ongoing metrics you monitor. OKRs are temporary commitments to move a metric to a specific target.

How many OKRs per team?

3 Objectives with 3–5 Key Results each is the practical maximum.