Setting OKRs: Lessons from 15 Years as a Product Leader

The pros, cons, and everything in between when using OKRs to set goals as a manager, plus two free templates to help you get started

Without grounded key results, OKRs are just mere wishes.

When was the first time you heard the term “OKR”?

For me, it was in 2010 and my initial reaction was, “Huh”! It turns out “OKR” is an acronym for “Objectives and Key Results” — a framework for setting goals as a manager within an organization that started at intel and became popularized by Google. Today, OKRs have been adopted and used across small and large corporations.

Over the years, a lot of articles and courses have been taught about how to do OKRs right, however, in my mentorship sessions and speaking with folks, I still observe increasingly that a LOT of product managers are still confused about how (and if) OKRs work, what they are exactly and how it matters to their work and ultimately, their career.

If this is you, this article is for you.

Since 2010, I have seen OKRs implemented both exquisitely and badly. I myself have fallen prey to doing it badly, and learned from those scars and mistakes. One major…