How to Make OKRs Actually Work at Your Startup

Angus Davis shares practical strategies from Swipely for making OKRs work at startups through five key principles: make OKRs collaborative and transparent (public objectives so employees can see each other's goals and connect individual work to broader company goals), define quantitative stretching key results (numeric and measurable targets where achieving 70% is considered successful, pushing teams to think creatively), separate OKRs from performance reviews (don't tie directly to compensation to encourage ambitious, skill-building objectives in a safe environment), implement regular check-ins (weekly management meeting reviews focusing on 'quick wins' and roadblock identification with digital tracking tools), and use bottom-up goal setting (aim for 60% of OKRs defined by employees rather than leadership, allowing teams to shape development objectives while maintaining alignment). The core philosophy is that 'OKRs are not designed to be used as a weapon against your employees... They increase transparency, accountability and empowerment.' Engineering leaders will learn to create OKR systems that encourage experimentation, cross-team collaboration, and individual growth while maintaining strategic alignment with company objectives.