by John Doerr
First published 2018
Venture capitalist John Doerr sits across from Larry Page and Sergey Brin in fall 1999. He has just invested $12.5 million in their startup, but Google lacks a real business plan. The founders have brilliant technology and big dreams, yet they cannot prioritize effectively or track progress. Doerr introduces them to Objectives and Key Results, a goal-setting framework he learned decades earlier as an Intel engineer under Andy Grove. In this system, objectives define what teams want to achieve while key results specify measurable actions within set timeframes. Everyone's goals stay visible across the entire organization. Doerr has already shared OKRs with over fifty companies as a venture capitalist. The method works wherever teams apply it faithfully. Through case studies featuring leaders like Bono and Bill Gates, Doerr shows how OKRs create focus and drive explosive growth at major organizations. The book demonstrates how this approach surfaces the most important work, coordinates effort across departments, and keeps employees aligned while boosting workplace satisfaction.
Genres: business, non-fiction, 21st-century, management
Vibes: intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: case-studies
320 pages · Hardcover · Portfolio