Home / Phase-2 / OKRs for Product Teams
Phase 2
OKRs for Product Teams
Objectives and Key Results (OKRs) have become a cornerstone of modern product management. When done well, they prevent teams from falling into the “feature factory” trap and instead keep the focus on meaningful, measurable outcomes. For product teams, OKRs act as a bridge between long-term strategy and day-to-day execution. This module explains what OKRs are, why they matter, and how to define and use them to guide product decisions and measure success.
What Are OKRs?
Objective
A qualitative, inspirational goal. Ambitious but achievable within a set timeframe (often a quarter).
Key Results
2–5 measurable indicators that show whether the objective is being met. Quantitative where possible.
Example:
Objective: Deliver a best-in-class onboarding experience.
Key Results: 70% of new users complete onboarding in under 5 minutes; Onboarding-related support tickets decrease by 40%; NPS for first-time users > 50.
Outcomes vs. Outputs
A common pitfall in OKR adoption is confusing outputs (what gets built) with outcomes (the change in customer or business behavior).
Output OKR
Ship reporting dashboard by end of Q2.
Outcome OKR
Increase active use of reporting features by 30% in Q2.
The OKR Cycle
Define
Collaborative drafting of objectives and key results involving product, design, and engineering.
Align
Check fit with company OKRs and other teams to avoid silos.
Execute
Use OKRs to prioritize discovery, backlog, and delivery decisions.
Check-in
Weekly/biweekly progress reviews, with adjustments as needed.
Reflect
End-of-cycle review to capture learnings and refine the next cycle.