Top Takeaways From Our Talk
1. Addressing The Universal Loathing of “Planning Season”
We’ve all felt the frustration: big offsites, hours lost in spreadsheets, the year-long product roadmap. Then reality hits, and half your “strategic plan” goes out the window. As Jeff bluntly put it: “Why does planning need a season?” He argues that waiting for an annual (or even quarterly) event to define everything doesn’t make sense. The market doesn’t wait, your customers don’t wait, and neither should your planning process. Instead, Jeff suggests treating planning as a continuous, lightweight exercise—think weeks instead of months—acknowledging up front that your initial plan is just your best guess. That way, when something unexpected pops up (and it always does), you have the ability to change course and act on what you’re learning.2. Clear Strategy First, Then the OKRs
Too often, teams jump straight into setting OKRs in a vacuum. No wonder they struggle. Jeff introduced his Lean Strategy Canvas to help clarify your direction: identify the big internal goal, the obstacles blocking you, your “where to play” market focus, and how you’ll win. OKRs that don’t flow from your bigger picture strategy are bound to disappoint. As Jeff said, “If we set goals in that way [customer-centric key results], it fundamentally changes how the organization works and functions.” The key is starting with a long-term objective (“become the easiest way to onboard a new team member”), then defining measurable behavioral changes that prove you delivered value (“increase the percentage of first-time admins who set up a new user flow without support”). Without a strategy (where you’ll play and how you’ll win) to anchor those OKRs, you’re just picking numbers and hoping for the best.3. Actionable Key Results Should Measure A Change In Behavior
Let’s back up a step. Every successful new product, feature, or improvement causes some change in user behavior:- they use your product more often
- they (in aggregate) get through some workflow at a higher rate
- they complete a core workflow faster
- they report higher levels of satisfaction
- etc.
- Who?
- Does What?
- By How Much?