Loach Logo

You've heard Google, Intel, and LinkedIn swear by OKRs. But you're a startup with 5-20 people—do you really need the same framework as a 100,000-person company?

Short answer: Yes, but simplified.

This quick-start guide will help you implement OKRs without the enterprise overhead. For a deeper dive into OKR fundamentals, check out our complete OKR guide.

What Are OKRs? (The 30-Second Version)

OKRs—Objectives and Key Results—connect what you want to achieve with how you'll measure success:

The OKR Formula

Objective: What do we want to achieve? (Qualitative, inspirational)

Key Results: How do we know we achieved it? (Quantitative, measurable)

That's it. No complex cascading, no 50-page playbook. Just clarity on direction and measurable outcomes.

Why Startups Need OKRs More Than Enterprise

Counterintuitively, OKRs matter more for startups than big companies:

Focus is everything — You can't afford to chase 10 priorities with a small team
Alignment happens naturally — With fewer people, everyone should know the goals
Pivots require clarity — When you change direction, OKRs help everyone adapt fast

The problem? Most OKR advice is written for enterprises with dedicated program managers and quarterly all-hands. That's not you.

A Startup-Friendly OKR Example

Here's how a 10-person startup might set OKRs:

Company Objective: Achieve product-market fit signals this quarter

Key Results:

40% of users return weekly (up from 25%)
Net Promoter Score > 40
3 customers willing to be public case studies

Notice what's not here:

No cascading team OKRs for a 10-person company
No complex weighting or scoring systems
No dependency mapping across 15 departments

Keep it simple. Your goal is focus, not bureaucracy.

The #1 Mistake Startups Make with OKRs

Setting OKRs... and then forgetting about them until the end of quarter.

Sound familiar? You're not alone. The fix isn't better OKRs—it's better execution.

The Translation Gap

The gap between quarterly OKRs and daily tasks is where startup OKRs go to die. You need a system to connect "increase retention by 15%" to "what should I work on Monday morning?"

This is exactly why we built Loach—to help startups turn quarterly OKRs into weekly plans without the complexity.

Getting Started: Your First OKRs in 30 Minutes

Pick 1-2 objectives — Seriously, just one or two. More focus = more impact.
Add 2-3 key results each — Keep them measurable and time-bound.
Share with the team — Transparency drives alignment.
Review weekly — Not monthly, not quarterly. Weekly.

Want the full breakdown? Read our comprehensive OKR guide for templates, examples, and the execution system that makes OKRs actually work.

Related resources:

What Are OKRs? (Complete Guide) — Deep dive into OKR fundamentals
How to Set Effective OKRs — Templates and step-by-step framework
5 OKR Mistakes That Kill Execution — Common pitfalls to avoid

Ready to turn your OKRs into weekly action plans? Try Loach for free.