Coming soon · Book Profile
Measure What Matters
A venture capitalist's guide to Objectives and Key Results (OKRs), the collaborative goal-setting system that helped Intel, Google, the Gates Foundation, and Bono's ONE Campaign achieve breakthrough results.
A profile of this book is on the way.
What it’s about
John Doerr, the legendary Silicon Valley investor who introduced OKRs to Google in 1999, distills Andy Grove's Intel-born goal-setting methodology into a practical handbook for organizations of any size. Through vivid behind-the-scenes case studies—from Google Chrome and YouTube to the Gates Foundation's fight against malaria and Bono's activism in Africa—Doerr demonstrates how transparent, measurable objectives and key results confer four 'superpowers': focus and commitment to priorities, alignment and connection for teamwork, tracking for accountability, and stretching for amazing. Complementing OKRs with CFRs (Conversations, Feedback, Recognition) for continuous performance management, the book argues that ideas are easy but execution is everything, and that structured goal setting paired with a healthy culture is how leaders turn audacious visions into measurable, world-changing outcomes.
The through-line
- Who it’s for
- A leader, entrepreneur, or manager who wants to execute effectively, align their team, and achieve ambitious goals.
- The problem
- Their organization struggles with unclear priorities, misalignment, poor execution, and goals that go unachieved or unmeasured. They feel overwhelmed, scattered, frustrated by working hard yet achieving little, and uncertain whether their efforts truly matter.
- The plan
- Set three to five significant objectives per cycle and commit to them.
- Make goals transparent and public to align everyone vertically and horizontally.
- Track progress with regular check-ins, honest scoring, and course correction.
- Set ambitious stretch goals that push beyond comfort zones.
- Pair OKRs with CFRs—conversations, feedback, and recognition—for continuous performance management.
- The payoff
- Focused teams executing on the vital few priorities. · Aligned, engaged employees who see how their work connects to the mission. · Accountability, transparency, and the ability to course-correct quickly.
See our guide
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