Free template

Free OKR template with startup examples

OKRs (objectives and key results) are a way to set goals: one objective says what you want to achieve this quarter, and two to four key results say how you will know, each a number you can measure. Teams check in weekly and score each key result from 0.0 to 1.0 at the end. Copy the template below.

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When to use it

Use it at the start of a quarter, when the team needs to agree what matters most and how it will tell whether it got there.

  • Setting the first company goals after you find a few paying customers

  • Giving a product, sales or hiring push a target everyone can see

  • Replacing a long to-do list with three outcomes the team can rank work against

  • Reviewing a quarter honestly, with numbers rather than impressions

The template

The complete template

Everything below is included when you copy or download it. Replace the [bracketed] blanks and delete the guidance lines as you go.

OKRs: [Team or company], [Quarter and year]

Replace everything in [brackets]. Write one objective per copy of this page, and leave a target blank rather than invent one: a key result with no real starting number is a guess, not a measure.

01How a good OKR is written

Check your draft against each line before you share it.

  • One objective: a short, plain sentence about an outcome, not a project name
  • Two to four key results, each with a start, a target and a way to measure it
  • Key results are outcomes (what changes), not tasks (what you will do)
  • Every key result has one owner who reports on it
  • The objective is hard enough that reaching 70% would still be a good quarter

02The objective

What you want to be true at the end of the period, and why it matters now.

  • Objective: [One sentence: the outcome you want by the end of the period]
  • Why now: [What happens if this does not get done this quarter]
  • Owner: [Name]
  • Level: [Company / Team / Personal]
  • Period: [Start date] to [end date]
  • Supports: [The company objective this rolls up to, or delete this line]

03Key results

Two to four rows. Start is where you are today, measured, not estimated. Write how each one is measured so nobody argues about the number at the end.

  • Score for each row: (current − start) ÷ (target − start), from 0.0 to 1.0
Key resultStartTargetCurrentHow it is measuredOwner
KR1 [What changes, as a number][Today][Target][Latest][Source: report, query, tracked issues][Name]
KR2 [What changes, as a number][Today][Target][Latest][Source][Name]
KR3 [Optional third key result][Today][Target][Latest][Source][Name]

04Initiatives

The work you will do to move the key results. These are bets: if one does not move a number, change it rather than the key result.

  • [Initiative] → moves [KR1]
  • [Initiative] → moves [KR2]
  • [Initiative] → moves [KR3]

05Example: product OKR

Example only. The numbers are illustrative; replace them with your own.

  • Objective: New teams get real work done in their first week
Key resultStartTargetHow it is measured
Share of new teams that finish a project in week one20%40%Product analytics, weekly cohort
Median days from sign-up to inviting a teammate31Sign-up and invite events
Onboarding improvements shipped0 of 1212 of 12The tracked set of onboarding issues

06Example: sales OKR

Example only. The numbers are illustrative; replace them with your own.

  • Objective: Make outbound a repeatable source of new revenue
Key resultStartTargetHow it is measured
Qualified first calls booked030Calls logged against deals in the CRM
Value of deals won this quarter$0$40,000Won deals closed inside the period
Proposals that become won deals15%25%Won ÷ proposals sent, in the CRM

07Example: hiring OKR

Example only. The numbers are illustrative; replace them with your own.

  • Objective: Build the team that ships the mobile app
Key resultStartTargetHow it is measured
Roles filled03Roles marked filled inside the period
Median days from application to decision3014Applicant pipeline dates
New hires who finish onboarding within 30 days0%100%Onboarding checklists completed on time

08Scoring

Score each key result at the end of the period, then average them for the objective. For ambitious OKRs, 0.7 is a good result; scoring 1.0 every quarter usually means the targets were too easy.

  • Score: (current − start) ÷ (target − start), capped between 0.0 and 1.0
  • During the quarter: compare the score with how much of the period has passed
ScoreWhat it meansStatus during the quarter
0.0 to 0.3Little movement. Something was wrong with the plan or the target.Off track
0.4 to 0.6Real progress, short of the target.At risk
0.7 to 0.9A good result on an ambitious target.On track
1.0Target reached.Done

09Weekly check-in

Five minutes, same day each week, written by the owner of each objective. The history matters more than any single week.

  • Week: [Date]
  • Status: [On track / At risk / Off track / Done]
  • In one sentence: [How it is going and why]
  • New values: [KR1: value, KR2: value, KR3: value]
  • Blocked by: [What is in the way, and who can help, or none]

10End-of-quarter review

Do this before you write next quarter's OKRs.

  • Every key result has a final value and a score
  • Each score has one sentence on why it landed where it did
  • You have decided whether each objective continues, changes or ends
  • Lessons about how you set targets are written down for next time

Atrix AI

Do this with Atrix AI

Goals in Atrix hold the same parts as this template, and key results can read their numbers from the work itself.

  • Set goals for the quarter

    Write a goal at company, team or personal level for a quarter, and point team goals at the company goal they support so progress rolls up. Key results can be a number, a percentage, a currency amount, a milestone or a set of tasks.

  • Let key results track themselves

    A key result can follow a set of issues (done over total), the value of deals won in the period, or the roles filled in the period. Deal amounts stay hidden from people who are not allowed to see deal values. Anything else you update by hand.

  • Check in weekly

    Owners get a reminder when a goal has had no check-in since Monday. A check-in records a status, a note and new values, and Atrix suggests a status by comparing progress with how much of the period has passed; you have the last word. Progress shows as 0 to 100%, not a 0.0 to 1.0 grade.

FAQ

Questions, answered

What is an OKR?

An objective and key results. The objective is a plain sentence about an outcome you want this period. The key results are two to four measurable numbers, each with a start and a target, that tell you whether you got there.

How many OKRs should a startup have?

Few. One to three objectives for the company each quarter, each with two to four key results, is plenty for a small team. More than that and nothing is a priority.

How do you score OKRs?

Score each key result from 0.0 to 1.0 as (current − start) ÷ (target − start), then average the key results for the objective. On ambitious goals, 0.7 is a good outcome.

How often should you check in on OKRs?

Weekly. A short written check-in with a status, one sentence and the latest values catches problems while there is still time in the quarter to fix them.

Is the template free?

Yes. Copy it or download it as Markdown without signing up.

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