The OKR Paradox: Should You Set Key Results You Can’t Measure Today?

Every team designing OKRs eventually hits this wall. You’re in a meeting, debating key results, and someone asks the dreaded question:

“Can we even measure this?”

What follows is a split-room debate. One side argues for ambition—OKRs should push the team to figure it out. The other side insists on practicality—if it can’t be measured now, it’s not a real OKR.

This tension often forces teams into compromise:

• Stick with “safe” OKRs tied to metrics you already track, or

• Set aspirational ones, knowing they might be impossible to measure.

Both options fail to capture the potential of OKRs. But what if the problem isn’t the key results themselves? What if the answer lies in what you choose to measure—and why?

The OKR Paradox: Why It Happens

Teams love measurable progress. Metrics drive focus, alignment, and accountability. But when you lack the systems or data to measure a result, the debate spirals:

• “Should we set a goal we can’t track yet?”

• “What’s the point of an unmeasurable OKR?”

• “Isn’t tracking progress the whole purpose of OKRs?”

Faced with these questions, many teams default to what’s easy to measure today—but that’s not what drives growth. Others swing to the opposite extreme, setting ambitious goals without the means to track them, leading to frustration and disengagement.

Here’s the truth: the act of measuring a key result is often part of achieving it.

The real issue isn’t whether you can measure it today—it’s whether figuring out how to measure it unlocks meaningful progress for your team.

The Case for Investing in Measurement

When a key result matters enough, the effort to measure it isn’t just a cost—it’s an investment.

Building the right systems, processes, or tools to track progress creates long-term value:

• Clarity: Teams know where they stand and can course-correct faster.

• Business Intelligence: Better data benefits the entire organization.

• Confidence: Teams feel more aligned and engaged when they trust the metrics guiding them.

I saw this firsthand at Quantive. We struggled with measuring sales velocity—a critical metric for growth. Our CRM data was messy, and debates flared up about whether cleaning it up was worth the effort.

The team chose to prioritize measurement, integrating new tools and cleaning up the pipeline. It wasn’t easy, but the payoff was clear: we unlocked insights that reshaped our strategy and improved decision-making across sales and marketing.

The same holds true for customers I’ve worked with. Teams that invest in measurement see OKRs as more than a checklist—they become a tool for driving alignment and value.

Introducing the Eigenquestion: Your Strategic Filter

Here’s where it gets interesting: not every key result is worth the effort to measure.

This is where the Eigenquestion comes in. Borrowed from linear algebra, the Eigenquestion is the one key question that, if answered, unlocks clarity for many subsequent decisions.

In the context of OKRs, it’s a filter:

• Does this key result answer your Eigenquestion?

• If yes, then measuring it isn’t just valuable—it’s essential.

For example, let’s say a product team is debating whether to track feature adoption rates. Their Eigenquestion might be: What drives retention for our ideal customers?

Tracking adoption answers that question. The effort to measure it directly ties back to solving the bigger problem of customer retention.

By focusing on your Eigenquestion, you avoid defaulting to what’s already measurable and instead invest in what truly matters.

A Framework to Solve the OKR Paradox

To put this into action, use this step-by-step framework:

1. Define Your Eigenquestion:
   What’s the most important question that, if answered, unlocks clarity and progress?

2. Evaluate the Key Result:
   Does this key result directly answer the Eigenquestion?

3. Assess Feasibility:
   What would it take to measure this reliably? Are the tools, systems, or resources worth the investment?

4. Prioritize Measurement:
   If the long-term value outweighs the short-term effort, treat measurement as part of the OKR itself.

5. Challenge Assumptions:
   Don’t limit OKRs to existing data. Great OKRs often require building new capabilities to track progress.

Avoiding Common Pitfalls

Teams often resist investing in measurement. Here’s how to navigate common objections:

• “We don’t have time to measure everything.”
  You shouldn’t. Focus on metrics that answer your Eigenquestion.

• “Some metrics are subjective.”
  Use frameworks to structure qualitative data into actionable insights.

• “It’s too expensive or time-consuming.”
  Consider the cost of not having the data. Lack of clarity can derail entire teams.

From Paradox to Progress

OKRs aren’t just about setting goals—they’re about learning, evolving, and driving progress.

The next time your team debates whether to set an “unmeasurable” key result, pause. Ask yourself:

• What’s our Eigenquestion?

• Does this result answer it?

• Are we willing to invest in measurement as part of achieving the goal?

By focusing on the right metrics, you’ll not only resolve the OKR paradox—you’ll transform your OKRs into a tool for alignment, clarity, and meaningful impact.

So, what’s your team’s Eigenquestion?