Article Overview
An overview of OKRs
OKRs or objectives and key results are a collaborative goal-setting framework used by teams and organizations to set challenging, ambitious goals with measurable results. OKRs are how you track progress, create alignment, and encourage engagement around measurable goals.
OKRs are a statement of intent by any team in your organization. It’s a public way of announcing what the team is going to work on and who will be accountable for its success or failure. At the company level, OKRs act as a north star for your organization and are goals that count on efforts from every level of the business. Setting company OKRs allows individual teams to set goals that help drive those overarching objectives while preserving their autonomy and enabling their own development and growth.
Breaking down OKRs
OKRs are made up of two components:
- The Objective: what you’re trying to accomplish
- Key Results: how you’ll measure whether you achieve the objective
When writing OKRs, use this format:

Objectives need to be clear, inspiring, and easy to rally around. The golden rule of writing objectives is that any reasonable person should be able to understand the objective’s aim and motivation at a glance. Think of your objective as a strategic theme, a qualitative statement of what is to be achieved. An objective should be significant, concrete, and action oriented, designed to propel the organization in the desired direction.
A key result (KR) is measurable and verifiable; there’s always a black and white answer whether it’s achieved. Setting around three KRs for an objective is a reasonable place to start, and you’ll want a specific person to be accountable to its success.
Learn more in our article What are OKRs? Objectives and Key Results Explained.

Company OKR examples
Adopting a company OKR strategy helps keep three perspectives in mind: mission, vision, and business system integration. The objective should be aspirational (derived from the mission and vision), while the key results should be attainable with respect to department and team OKRs.
Example
Objective: Bring in more, send out less
Objective description: As a first step towards profitability, we need to become cash-flow positive
Key result 1: Increase cash collection to $1.2m
Key result 2: Expenses below $1.1m
Key result 3: Quarterly growth at 40%
Example
Objective: Skyrocket growth mode
Objective description: Consistent scaling means consistently crushing the fundamentals
Key result 1: Keep the MoM revenue growth above 19%
Key result 2: 100% customer renewal rate
Key result 3: Keep the OPM (Operating Profit Margin) above 15%
Engineering OKR examples
Engineers and software developers focus on optimization and reducing bottlenecks. OKRs for engineering teams will have an ambitious focus on preventing and correcting mishaps, as well as removing friction from the user experience. Outcome-based Key Results here are easier to find since the roles are rooted in performance versus output.
Example
Objective: Be the bug spray
Objective description: Our product should not inhibit someone’s progress
Key result 1: Less than 10 open critical bugs
Key result 2: Fix customer reported bugs in less than 7 days
Example
Objective: Faster than F1, more reliable than a mule
Objective description: More speed = less friction
Key result 1: Average uptime of all services
Key result 2: Average page load under 2 seconds
Need more examples? Check out our article on engineering OKR examples.

Product OKR examples
OKRs for product management help product teams remain focused on company goals and user experience. Finding that critical balance is at the heart of effective product OKRs.
Example
Objective: Users love our product
Objective description: Our customers become our brand advocates
Key result 1: Everyone on the team owns an OKR
Key result 2: We are tracking 270 key results
Key result 3: Reduce number of inputs during the trial
Key result 4: Committed OKRs at 100% attainment
Need more examples? Check out our article on product OKR examples.

Marketing OKR examples
Marketers need objectives that connect to higher-level company goals, focused on the underlying performance drivers for marketing. Questioning whether a metric is impactful, or vanity is crucial for Marketing OKRs.
Example
Objective: Flood the pipeline
Objective description: Widen the top of the funnel in order to hit the sales targets
Key result 1: Generate 4,300 leads
Key result 2: Bring in 140k people to the website
Key result 3: Generate 2,800 MQLs
Example
Objective: When you hear (idea), you think (your brand)
Objective description: Build the brand with curated content for our industry
Key result 1: Grow blog subscribers list to 5,000
Key result 2: Place 3 owned content pieces in media or other online publications
Key result 3: Increase social media followers by 50%
Want more examples? Check out our article on marketing OKR examples.

Sales OKR examples
OKRs bring new depth to sales. The number is a performance indicator, but the number itself is not a measure of performance. Sales OKRs should focus on the impact of the numbers: activity, efficiency, effectiveness, and structure.
Example
Objective: Bullseye on sales targets
Objective description: We need to finish the year with strong sales numbers
Key result 1: Hit $740k MRR (monthly recurring revenue )
Key result 2: Close 130 new customers
Key result 3: Hit $2.5m in new bookings
Example
Objective: Emerge from the market shadows
Objective description: Becoming a market leader definitely doesn’t happen overnight, but takes careful planning and hard work
Key result 1: Increase MRR by $200,000
Key result 2: Keep monthly customer churn below 5%
Key result 3: Lower overall expenses by 5%
Want to learn more? Check out our article on sales OKR examples.

Finance OKR examples
Emphasizing the outcome over output mentality in finance is crucial. Finance OKRs that lean too much on vague, qualitative pursuits tend to look like tasks. Balancing KPIs with OKRs will prevent your goals from becoming overly qualitative, but also keep your focus on the future.
Example
Objective: Laser focus on the budget
Objective description: Make sure we hit the main components of the budget
Key result 1: Expenses on budget
Key result 2: GAAP revenue on target
Key result 3: World-class cash collections
Example
Objective: Accounting scores A+’s
Objective description: High quality accounting is the key to a good accounting health. By setting quality as priority for our Accounting team, we aim to focus on quality over speed.
Key result 1: 100% invoices accuracy
Key result 2: 100% audit recommendations implemented
Key result 3: 100% GL account reconciliation
HR OKR examples
HR ensures every individual feels prepared and deeply engaged in the vision and mission set out by the executive leaders. OKRs ensure a transparent core for all members in the organization, fulfilling their need of purpose.
Example
Objective: First round draft picks only or recruit world class talent
Objective description: Bring in the top talent to take us to the next level
Key result 1: Create the target list of 20 people
Key result 2: Approach 20 people from the target list
Key result 3: Hire 7 people from the target list
Example
Objective: Our employees are engaged
Objective description: Make every voice heard, every person seen
Key result 1: 30% increase in eNPS compared to the previous year
Key result 2: 100% completion rate on the quarterly engagement survey
Key result 3: 100% attendance on the feedback workshops for all teams
Key result 4: 100% employee engagement rate
Need more examples? Check out our article on HR OKR examples.

Design OKR examples
Design has a direct correlation to the impact of visual communication. Poor design can undermine the most powerful messages while great design improves the time and engagement users experience messages. Exploring the result of outputs (the creative) is critical in design OKRs.
Example
Objective: Flawless sign-up flow
Objective description: To increase the revenue, we need to make trial sign up frictionless - all of our customers come from trials
Key result 1: Reduce the number of steps to sign up for trial
Key result 2: Increase the percentage of completed sign ups
Key result 3: Reduce number of inputs during the trial
Example
Objective: Captivate and capture visitors with the new website
Objective description: We need to launch our new and improved website and make sure the design grabs the user's attention and users spend the necessary time on it
Key result 1: Average Session Duration > 1 min
Key result 2: Bounce Rate < 40%
Key result 3: Cart Abandonment Rate < 60%
Technical success OKR examples
To retain customers, tech companies must ensure customers achieve the outcomes that led them to invest in their technology. It’s the job of the technical success team to make sure that happens, accounting for why customer retention is the classic north star metric for the team.
Example
Objective: The Technical Success service is exceptional
Objective description: Support customers every step of the way
Key result 1: 100% retention of technical success accounts
Key result 2: Every account has configurable reporting custom to their needs
Key result 3: Increase daily active user count for all our accounts
Startup OKR examples
In a startup, it’s easy to be overwhelmed with a seemingly never-ending list of things to do. OKRs are a mindset as much as a methodology, helping to focus more on what matters. Startups must maximize every effort given and every dollar spent. OKRs help startups use resources efficiently and create alignment.
Example
Objective: Make Series A look like child’s play
Objective description: To accelerate our growth, we need to raise the next round of capital
Key result 1: Build a list of 100 VCs to target
Key result 2: Get 20 second meetings
Key result 3: Receive 5 term sheets
Key result 4: Close the minimum of $9m investment
Example
Objective: From Startup to Scaleup
Objective description: Make the transition, show the market
Key result 1: 10-fold our customer base growth
Key result 2: 2 new MVPs introduction
Key result 3: Company valuation to increase at least 500%
Key result 4: At least 1 Private Equity Fund to commit on an investment
Bonus: Executive OKR examples
OKR examples for a CEO
The Chief Executive Officer’s OKRs should be directly connected to the company mission and vision. CEOs work for their teams as much as their teams work with them. Note the diversity of the OKR examples below: one is focused on industry domination, while the other is strongly team-centric.
Example
Objective: Amass huge SaaS (metrics)
Objective description: Achieve top percentile SaaS metrics
Key result 1: Hit 18% MoM growth
Key result 2: Gross margin to 90%
Key result 3: Monthly logo churn below 1%
Key result 4: Net MRR churn to -5%
Example
Objective: Serving others: Sales team edition
Objective description: Executive presence helps sales teams, and being close to customers and prospects is important
Key result 1: Attend 100 sales calls
Key result 2: Send 300 sales emails
Key result 3: Visit 20 prospects on site
OKR example for a CSO
It's up to the CSO to advance organizational strategy and execution, as well as reach (or surpass) employee performance goals. The Chief Strategy Officer must overcome challenges by implementing more effective strategy execution methodologies, like OKRs.
Example
Objective: Target and secure the unrecognized buyer persona market
Objective description: We can’t adjust for what we don’t know
Key result 1: Validate a problem hypothesis
Key result 2: Validate a solution hypothesis
Key result 3: Test 3 pricing/packaging/channel options for segments
OKR example for a COO
The role of the Chief Operating Officer is about strategic growth, acceleration, and cross-functional efficiency. Optimization for the long term is the COO’s priority. Transparency and process optimization are at the core of OKRs, helping leaders focus on the micro level without micromanagement.
Example
Objective: Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, but make it operations
Objective description: Optimize processes that keep the wheel turning
Key result 1: Cut procure-to-pay cycle time in half
Key result 2: Pay 50% of invoices in 10 days for 2% discount
Key result 3: Add new vendors in 3 business days
OKR example for a CoS
The Chief of Staff, while holding various responsibilities, has a distinct and particular purpose: drive organizational effectiveness. CoS OKRs drive a focus on outcomes rather than outputs, which creates an effectiveness-over-efficiency mentality.
Example
Objective: Gold medal performances across the board
Objective description: OKRs are a benchmark. Set the bar higher.
Key result 1: The Leadership team’s average OKR progress >= 70%
Key result 2: The Principal’s OKR progress >= 70%
Key result 3: OKRs progress across the organization >= 70%
OKR example for a CPO
Product OKRs for the Chief Product Officer enable product teams to strategically problem-solve using their own process. Identifying product team OKRs as a CPO or product leader ensures that teams will focus on what matters, internally align as a team with that goal, and create methods for collaboration to reach it.
Example
Objective: Create a forest of opportunity from the seeds of trials
Objective description: Trials are a make or break experience
Key result 1: 70% of trials complete their public profile during sign up
Key result 2: 50% of trials invite a friend within 5 days
Key result 3: Increase the activation metric by 5%
OKR example for a CTO
Example
Objective: Be there for our customers 24/7
Objective description: Prioritize and align the technologies that provide the greatest impact
Key result 1: Top 10 web assets get 60% mobile/tablet visitors
Key result 2: 50% of top 10,000 transactions are from iPhone native app
Key result 3: Expose 20 core transactions as restful APIs
OKR example for a CMO
In an experiment-driven department, the Chief Marketing Officer offers guidance, encourages risks, and builds trust. With OKRs, the Chief Marketing Officer can focus on enabling both creative choices and aligned outcomes within the marketing team.
Example
Objective: Gain the world's trust
Objective description: Drive results through creative and content strategy
Key result 1: Reach 100,000 cumulative unpaid website visits
Key result 2: Increase marketing-generated leads from $500,000 to $2M of pipeline
Key result 3: Increase average G2 review from 4.6 to 4.8
OKR example for a DE&I leader
Framing diversity, equity, and inclusion as a solution, not a problem, should be at the core of OKRs for DE&I leaders. The main idea of OKRs for DE&I is to bring quantitative measurements to an otherwise highly qualitative role.
Example
Objective: DE&I is the marble that we etch our progress on
Objective description: DE&I is not a side project, it’s a core value
Key result 1: Capture new customer segments and markets with employees mirroring target audience
Key result 2: Become a top SaaS employer
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