Measure What Matters (Book)

Measure What Matters (original English title: Measure What Matters: How Google, Bono, and the Gates Foundation Rock the World with OKRs) is a business book written by John Doerr, a venture capitalist from Silicon Valley, and first published in 2018. It explains the OKRs (Objectives and Key Results) framework as a tool for goal setting and management. The book details with examples how OKRs work, what they are, and how they have been implemented across diverse organizations ranging from Intel to Google, and from Bono’s global health initiative ONE Campaign to the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

Subject and Content

The central theme of the book is the OKRs methodology, which helps businesses and organizations define strategic goals, take measurable steps toward achieving them, and track progress. The book begins by describing how Andy Grove, CEO of Intel and widely regarded as the inventor of OKRs, developed this framework, and how John Doerr introduced it to a young Google team during his time at Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers.

The main sections of the book cover the following:

What Are OKRs?

The book defines Objectives (What do we want to achieve?) and Key Results (How will we measure success?). It emphasizes that Objectives should be ambitious, inspirational, and time-bound, while Key Results must be specific, measurable, achievable yet challenging, relevant, and time-bound—similar to the SMART criteria.

The Superpowers of OKRs

The book identifies four key benefits of OKRs as “superpowers”:

• Focus and Commitment: Ensures alignment on the most important priorities and fosters shared commitment across teams.
• Alignment and Connection: Synchronizes different teams and individuals within an organization around common goals. Transparency is a fundamental component of OKRs.
• Tracking: Enables regular monitoring of progress and timely adjustments when needed.
• Stretching: Encourages teams to step outside their comfort zones and reach their full potential by setting ambitious objectives.

Case Studies

A significant portion of the book is devoted to interviews and stories illustrating how organizations from different sectors and scales—including Google, Intel, YouTube, Spotify, Adobe, Intuit, the Gates Foundation, and Bono’s ONE Campaign—have implemented OKRs. These examples demonstrate how the theory functions in practice, highlighting both challenges and successes.

Implementation Tips

The book offers practical advice on how to start, sustain, and scale OKRs within an organization, along with guidance on avoiding common pitfalls. It particularly stresses that OKRs should not be directly tied to compensation or performance evaluations.

About the Author

John Doerr is one of the leading investors in the technology industry. As a partner at Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers (now Kleiner Perkins), he was among the first investors in technology companies such as Google, Amazon, Intuit, Macromedia, and Netscape. His personal experiences and contributions to implementing OKRs in the companies he invested in form the foundation of the book. The foreword is written by Larry Page.

Impact and Significance

Measure What Matters has played a pivotal role in broadening awareness and adoption of the OKRs framework across the business world. The book presents OKRs not only as a tool for large technology firms but as an accessible and effective method for organizations of any size, nonprofit entities, and even individuals. It serves as a guide for leaders, managers, and teams seeking to cultivate a culture of transparency, accountability, and ambitious goal setting. Since its publication, the use and popularity of OKRs have grown significantly worldwide.