Final boss vs. level 1
A way to think about building processes
Hi all —
We’ve been trying to implement Objectives and Key Results (OKRs) for years now.
And it’s never quite worked.
This week, I think I realized why we’ve been unsuccessful - and want to test my theory on you.
Why OKRs fail
OKRs are like the “final boss” in a video game. Win at OKRs and you’ve demonstrated operations mastery.
But you don’t learn a video game by playing the final boss first. That’s a recipe for frustration and failure.
Which means copying the OKR playbook from Google for your 10-person startup just won’t work.
We’re working on the “level 1” version of running insanely effective operations. It’s simple - possibly too simple - but it’s something I know we can accomplish.
Every Friday, our team is going to answer two questions:
What 1-3 big things did you accomplish this week?
What 1-3 big things will you accomplish next week?
We’ll keep track in a simple Google spreadsheet, and see what emerges.
What do you think? Any better ideas?
A broader point
Whether it is implementing OKRs, building product, developing a marketing program, build a website, etc. there’s a natural tendency to overengineer. To copy the “final boss” version of everything.
Instead, focus on building the Level 1 version and - if relevant - making it a habit, becoming excellent at the Level 1 version. Then learning and evolving to Level 2+
The same goes for your product and business. If you can get customers to buy and use the Level 1 version of your product, they can level up over time.
And it’s much easier to get someone to understand, buy, and implement Level 1 vs. implementing the “final boss” version.