Measure What Matters: How Google, Bono, and the Gates Foundation Rock the World with OKRs

Venture capitalist John Doerr explains how Objectives and Key Results (OK Rs)—a goal-setting system—has enabled organizations from Intel to Google to achieve significant growth. In 1999, Doerr invested $12.5 million in a Google startup founded by Larry Page and Sergey Brin. Though they possessed strong technology and ambition, they lacked a structured business plan and needed a system to prioritize decisions, track progress, and measure outcomes. Doerr first encountered OK Rs in the 1970s while working as an engineer at Intel under Andy Grove. As a venture capitalist, he later introduced the approach to more than fifty companies, where it consistently proved effective. In this system, objectives define what an organization aims to achieve, while key results specify measurable actions within a set timeframe. Goals remain transparent across all organizational levels. OK Rs clarify an organization's most important work, concentrate effort, improve coordination, maintain employee focus, and link objectives across departments. The system also increases workplace satisfaction and retention. Doerr presents case studies featuring contributors including Bono and Bill Gates, demonstrating how OK Rs have driven focus, agility, and growth across various organizations.