Thread by @nurijanian

Your OKRs keep failing because they're masquerading as strategy.

It's not about writing better OKRs - it's about having a strategy that makes OKRs worth writing.

After mentoring dozens of PMs through this exact challenge, here's the framework that actually works:

1/ First, let's understand what strategy isn't:

• A collection of targets
• A list of initiatives
• A set of KPIs

Strategy is a coherent set of choices about where to play and how to win.

Everything else - including OKRs - flows from these choices.

2/ The dangerous pattern I see in most product organizations:

Leadership: "We need 30% growth"
Teams: *scramble to break this down into quarterly OKRs*
Result: Fragmented efforts that don't compound

This isn't strategy - it's wishful thinking dressed up in methodology.

3/ Here's what actually works:

Before touching OKRs, answer these questions:
• What unique value can we deliver?
• Where do we have advantage?
• What capabilities do we need?
• How will we build them?

THIS is strategy. OKRs measure progress against it.

4/ Example from a real product team I worked with:

Bad "Strategy":
"Increase NPS by 15 points through better UX"

Better Strategy:
"Win in mid-market by solving integration pain through API-first architecture, starting with top 3 enterprise systems"

See the difference?

5/ The transformation framework:

Step 1: Map Your Playing Field
- List all possible segments
- Identify unique advantages
- Find underserved needs
- Spot capability gaps

6/ Step 2: Make Clear Trade-offs
- Choose specific segments to serve
- Decide what you won't do
- Identify key capabilities to build
- Define your unique approach

This is where most teams get stuck. They try to do everything.

7/ Step 3: Build Strategic Capabilities
- Focus on 1-2 key capabilities
- Create learning loops
- Measure progress systematically
- Adjust based on evidence

NOW we can talk about OKRs.

8/ Using OKRs properly:
- Measure progress on capability building
- Track strategic position improvement
- Monitor competitive advantage growth
- Guide resource allocation

Not: Random growth targets hoping for magic.

9/ Common objections I hear:

"But my executives want growth targets!"

Yes, and you'll hit them more reliably with real strategy than wishful OKRs.

10/ For product leaders:

Your job isn't to enforce OKR compliance.
It's to:
• Build strategic capabilities
• Make clear trade-offs
• Guide resource allocation
• Measure what matters

OKRs should serve strategy, not replace it.

11/ "But we need to move fast!" - I hear this a lot.

A PM I mentored felt pressure to "move fast" with OKRs, but instead:

1. Mapped capabilities in a day
2. Identified a key integration gap
3. Realigned the team
4. Met goals quicker

Speed via clarity

12/ Immediate actions you can take:

Today:
• Map current capabilities
• List explicit trade-offs
• Identify strategic gaps

This Week:
• Share analysis with team
• Get alignment on 1 key capability
• Design measurement system

Next Sprint:
• Start capability building
• Measure progress
• Adjust course

13/ For executives pushing hard for OKRs:

"I want to ensure our OKRs drive real growth. Can we spend 2 hours mapping our strategic position to make them more effective?"

This reframes the conversation from compliance to results.

14/ Real talk: You don't need months of strategy work.

You need:
• Clear choice of where to play
• Explicit trade-offs
• Focus on key capabilities
• Systematic measurement

I've collected practical frameworks for this exact challenge in prodmgmt.world