sean.horgan.net

Execution is everything

Lots of great content in this post from @

TrenGriffin⁠

⁠

https://25iq.com/2018/10/28/execution-is-everything/⁠

⁠

A startup is not just a smaller version of a large company. It has unique challenges like establishing product market fit for the first time. Medium-size companies have their own challenges. It can be hard to break free from challenges related to scale and sometimes a business hits an invisible asymptote which limits growth. Large organizations have a tendency over time to focus too much time on process and not enough time and energy on renewal of the franchise of the business.

A major benefit that startups should have over medium to large organizations is that they can focus their efforts almost completely on establishing product-market fit. Larger organizations have a bias toward an “

institutional no⁠

” or taxing their teams with process and unrealistic product evaluation criteria.

I like section 9 on OKRs, which is a deceptively easy framework to understand but difficult to implement unless everyone is onboard.

“Focus, alignment, commitment, tracking and stretching, I love that [acronym] because it spells FACTS.

Tracking OKRs is critical:

“OKRs are driven by data. They are animated by periodic check-ins, objective grading, and continuous reassessment—all in a spirit of no-judgment accountability. An endangered key result triggers action to get it back on track, or to revise or replace it if warranted.”

High functioning teams can get by with mid-quarter checkins but newer teams should start with weekly updates and work their way toward less frequent formal reviews as they demonstrate they are working well together.

Commitment is also critical:

The creation of transparent goals crates a social contract that takes the form of commitment. “In implementing OKRs, leaders must publicly commit to their objectives and stay steadfast”

OKRs are for everyone and if they aren’t taking seriously at the top, they won’t be taken seriously anywhere else.

Below is a nice visualization for building a quarterly OKR cycle:

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