Welcome to Edition 5 of The Lens, a newsletter focused on Product Management and related topics.
OKRs
OKRs (Objectives and Key Results) answer two fundamental questions from Andy Grove's High Output Management:
1. Where do I want to go? — The Objective 2. How will I pace myself to get there? — The Key Results
Google's framework requires two things for OKRs to work: specificity and a focus on outcomes, not outputs.
Key Results should be specific, time-bound, measurable, and verifiable expressions of success. The most common failure mode is measuring output — "ship the feature," "run the campaign" — instead of actual improvement. Output-focused OKRs undermine the entire purpose of the framework.
OKRs in Product Management
OKRs map naturally onto product thinking. User problems become Objectives. Key Results measure progress against those problems — not features shipped, but value delivered.
This alignment helps communicate product strategy across the organization. A well-written set of OKRs tells the entire company what the product team believes matters this quarter, and why.
During periods of uncertainty, discovery-driven planning approaches work especially well within an OKR framework — you're not committing to specific solutions, you're committing to learning and outcomes.
Should You Use OKRs?
Research suggests OKRs work best for teams rather than individuals. They require organizational commitment to implement well — proper frequency, scoring, and genuine follow-through on what the results reveal.
Some limitations exist: visualization across large organizations is difficult, and OKR-washing (applying the format without the discipline) is common.
That said, experimentation is worthwhile. If OKRs give your team clarity and help communicate priorities, they're working — even if you don't hit every ambitious target. The goal isn't perfect achievement; it's better alignment and honest measurement.