3 Prompts to help Teams
Go from KPIs to OKRs

​Dear Reader,​

In theory, distinguishing KPIs from OKRs should be simple. KPIs are reactive metrics you monitor, but only act on when they exceed or drop below a certain threshold. Think revenue or conversion rate. Objectives and Key Results (OKRs) contain proactive metrics that help you measure your progress towards strategic priorities. Consider revenue from a particular product or the conversion rate at a specific funnel step.

However, even with that simple definition in place, it can be challenging for teams to establish proactive metrics when drafting their OKRs. But instead of dwelling on the "correct" starting point, I recommend meeting teams where they are and helping them turn existing metrics into OKRs through simple prompts that challenge their strategic thinking.

Approach #1: Zoom in on meaningful segments or sub-behaviors

Ask: “Where can we narrow our focus to a specific group, step, or behavior that impacts this KPI?”

Instead of tackling the whole KPI, zero in on a cohort, stage, or feature that might offer high leverage (e.g., new vs. returning users, drop-offs by category, specific traffic sources).

For Revenue:

• What's a user segment that has a lot of potential to unlock more revenue?
• Do we believe there's potential for more revenue in App vs. Web or New vs. Returning Users?
• Which user actions most often precede a purchase, and can we increase those?

Approach #2: Link quantitative movement to qualitative intent

Ask: “What kind of change in user behavior or experience would explain a shift in this KPI?”

Move from abstract metrics (traffic, revenue) to user-driven causes (search intent, upsells, bounce behavior) that can be influenced through product or design interventions.

For Traffic:

• Do we want to grow traffic from a specific source?
• Is there a page or feature where improved traffic could have the biggest downstream impact?
• What percentage of traffic is returning vs. new, and which one should we grow?

Approach #3: Translate the why behind the KPI into a testable how

Ask: “What’s the most promising bet we could make to influence this KPI right now?”

Turn passive monitoring into active experimentation. Identify specific opportunities to shift the needle through targeted campaigns, UX changes, or re-engagement strategies.

For any of your ideas:

• Which three metrics would tell you this idea has worked?
• Is how we usually measure success truly linkable to this idea or surrounding factors?

You can use these in a facilitated setup or plug them into your favorite LLM, assuming you have provided enough strategic and data context beforehand. Let me know how these have worked for you.

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Thank you for Practicing Product,

​Tim​

PS: Atlantic Coffee brewing vibes from a short time off last week

Let's Meet in Munich!

At PendomoniumX Munich on July 8, I’ll be sharing a pragmatic guide to finally connect the dots between strategy, OKRs, and discovery—so your product teams worry less about correctness and focus on context and progress. Save 50% using my discount code TIMHERBIG50.

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Who is Tim Herbig?

As a Product Management Coach, I guide Product Teams to measure the real progress of their evidence-informed decisions.

I focus on better practices to connect the dots of Product Strategy, Product OKRs, and Product Discovery.