Every startup struggles with OKRs.
Some struggle quietly (“Are we doing this right?”), and some struggle loudly (“These OKRs are useless!”). But behind the chaos, nearly every founder we speak to shares the same underlying worry:
“I don’t know whether our OKRs are good, bad, or normal.”
The truth is, most teams have no idea how their OKRs compare to other startups because almost no real benchmark data exists.
So we decided to fix that.
We analyzed 2,473 Objectives and Key Results from real startup teams using OKRs Tool across dozens of industries, ranging from pre-seed to Series B.
These OKRs came from product teams, founders, engineering squads, marketing leaders, and early operators trying to navigate the messy middle of startup execution.
This article reveals how startups actually use OKRs - not how textbooks say they should.
And more importantly, it reveals what the highest-performing teams do differently.
Let’s get into it.
The Dataset: A Clear Window Into Startup Execution
Our analysis included:
- 2,473 OKRs
- 2,434 Key Results (KRs)
- 1,286 KRs with measurable progress data
- 122 distinct OKR cycle names
- Data from dozens of real startup companies
- Teams ranging from 3 to ~150 employees
This makes it one of the largest open analyses of startup OKR usage ever published.
Unlike theoretical best practices, this dataset reflects how OKRs actually operate inside early-stage companies - messy, inconsistent, over-ambitious, and sometimes brilliant.
What the Data Reveals About Startup OKRs
These insights come directly from the dataset, backed by our expert interpretation.
1. Most Key Results Are Actually Tasks, Not Outcomes
We analyzed the first words of 2,434 KRs to understand how teams frame their goals.
The top verbs were:
- Increase (336)
- Key (metric-related) (186)
- Conduct (100)
- Ensure (86)
- Complete (69)
- Achieve (66)
- Create (63)
- Reduce (43)
- Test (38)
- Launch (32)
This mix tells a clear story:
- Outcome verbs → Increase, Reduce, Achieve
- Activity verbs → Conduct, Complete, Test, Launch
When activity verbs dominate, Key Results turn into to-do lists instead of measurable business results.
This is the #1 reason OKRs feel busy but ineffective.
2. Average Key Result Completion Is 45.7% - and That’s Healthy
You read that right.
Across 1,286 measurable KRs:
- Average completion: 45.7%
- Median: 44.3%
- Top quartile: ~95%+
- Bottom quartile: near zero
Founders often think “50% completion” means failure.
In reality:
- 30–70% completion = healthy stretch range
- 70–100% = goals were too easy
- 100%+ = inflated scoring or ultra-conservative goals
Startups are supposed to stretch.
Teams that always hit their goals are either sandbagging or not innovating.
3. Startups Use 122 Different OKR Cycle Names - and It Breaks Alignment
The dataset revealed 122 unique cycle names, from:
- “H2 2024”
- “Cycle 3”
- “July 2024”
- “Q1 Goals”
- “Sprint 2”
- “2024 OKRs”
This kind of inconsistency fragments:
When cycles aren’t standardized, OKRs lose their rhythm - and rhythm is where the value comes from.
4. Startup Priorities Are Split Between Growth and Execution
By categorizing KRs, we uncovered the dominant startup focus areas:
1. Growth
“Increase,” “acquire,” “generate” - early traction and sales targets.
2. Product & engineering
“Test,” “create,” “develop” - build and ship cycles.
3. Quality and reliability
“Ensure,” “conduct,” “identify” - stability, reliability, compliance.
4. Operational improvement
“Reduce,” “define,” “improve” - maturity signals.
This mix reflects a common tension:
Startups must grow and build simultaneously. Their OKRs show that struggle clearly.
5. Startups Set Too Many Key Results per Objective
Most Objectives had 5–7+ KRs, sometimes more.
This causes:
- diluted focus
- endless status updates
- unclear priorities
- incomplete KRs
- high “busy work” but low impact
More KRs = worse OKRs.
The Behaviors of High-Performing Teams
Instead of guessing, we examined the Key Results that landed in the top quartile (≥95% completion).
These teams showed measurable behavioral patterns - and they were very different from the average startup.
1. They Write Outcome-Driven KRs, Every Time
High-performing teams consistently used language tied to:
- customer behavior
- revenue or retention
- quality or stability
- operational improvements
- measurable outcomes
You will never see high-performing teams write:
- “Complete project”
- “Launch feature”
- “Finalize X”
- “Test Y”
They frame success in terms of measurable change, not activity.
This one habit alone separates mature OKR users from beginners.
2. They Maintain a Consistent Weekly Check-In Cadence
This is the strongest correlation we see globally with OKR success:
Teams that check in weekly outperform those that don’t - dramatically.
Weekly check-ins do three things exceptionally well:
- Expose blind spots early
- Give teams momentum and accountability
- Reduce the “big surprise” at end-of-quarter reviews
Most teams think OKRs aren’t working when the real issue is:
They don’t revisit them enough to let them work.
3. They Set Fewer OKRs but Execute More Deeply
High-performing teams have:
- fewer Objectives
- fewer Key Results
- tighter definitions
- clearer ownership
- more meaningful progress
They avoid “hedging bets” through volume.
They commit deeply to the 2–3 outcomes that matter most - and they hit them.
4. Their Objectives Are Specific, Memorable, and Anchored in Strategy
High performers write Objectives that:
- are easy to remember
- communicate strategy clearly
- create alignment across teams
- describe desired outcomes, not vague hopes
- connect the quarter’s work to long-term goals
If an Objective requires explanation, it’s not ready.
High performers know this and refine until it’s crisp.
5. Their Scoring Is Honest, Not Emotional
The best teams:
- score transparently
- evaluate outcomes, not effort
- discuss misses openly
- use data, not opinions
- treat scoring as learning
Low-performing teams inflate scores to protect morale.
High-performing teams deflate ego to learn faster.
What Startup Founders Should Do Now
These recommendations tell you exactly how to improve starting today.
1. Reduce Every Objective to 2–3 Key Results
The fastest path to better OKRs is subtraction.
Fewer KRs = sharper focus = better execution.
If an Objective has more than 4 KRs:
- combine them
- cut them
- clarify them
- or re-evaluate the Objective itself
Startups thrive on clarity, not quantity.
2. Rewrite Every KR Using Outcome Verbs
Take existing Key Results and rewrite them using verbs like:
- Increase
- Reduce
- Maintain
- Improve
- Reach
- Achieve
- Stabilize
- Accelerate
A simple rule:
If a KR sounds like a task, it will behave like a task.
Rewrite it until it describes impact.
3. Standardize on Quarterly OKR Cycles
Regardless of stage or size, quarterly cycles are best for startups because they:
- create a predictable rhythm
- force prioritization
- enable rapid learning
- align the whole company
Forget custom cycle names and sprint-based OKRs - they fragment execution.
4. Institute a 15-Minute Weekly Check-In Ritual
This single ritual multiplies OKR performance more than any other practice.
Use a simple structure:
- What moved last week?
- What’s blocked?
- What’s the real confidence score?
- What must change this week?
This transforms OKRs from “a planning exercise” into a living execution system.
5. Write Objectives Before Key Results - Always
Your Objectives should:
- describe direction
- be aspirational but grounded
- fit into one sentence
- be easy to recall
- connect to a narrative the CEO can repeat
Only after that should your team write Key Results.
Skipping straight to KRs is the root cause of bad OKRs.
The OKR Snapshot: Key Issues and Proven Fixes
Before we dive into the final takeaway, here’s a clear summary of what the data shows - the key findings, the real underlying problems, and the practical solutions startup teams can apply immediately.
Taken together, these patterns reveal a simple truth: most issues with OKRs aren’t philosophical or structural - they’re operational, predictable, and surprisingly fixable once teams know where the friction comes from.
Startup OKRs Struggle Because the System Is Too Noisy
After analyzing 2,473 OKRs, the biggest insight is simple:
Startup OKRs fail due to noise, not incompetence.
Too many KRs.
Too many cycles.
Too many task-based goals.
Too little rhythm.
Too little clarity.
But the fixes are straightforward, accessible to any team, and available immediately:
- fewer KRs
- clearer Objectives
- quarterly cycles
- weekly check-ins
- outcome-based language
Do these consistently, and your OKRs will transform from chaos into clarity - and your execution will follow.
