How to use OKRs to stop drowning in Q4 priorities
Setting OKRs that will help you win
Hi there,
Last week we talked about some rookie Q4 mistakes I’ve made (oops). With this being the last week of Q3, I wanted to offer some help in finalising those pesky OKRs.
I used to think OKRs were a bit like company values: something you set, file away, and rarely revisit. Basically like the gym membership you sign up for in January… then forget exists by March.
But once I worked with teams that used them well, I realised OKRs weren’t about extra admin. They were about focus. Taking the chaos of competing priorities and saying: this is the hill we’re climbing right now.
And if there’s one quarter that desperately needs that? It’s Q4
The problem with Q4
For e-com and DTC startups, Q4 can feel like being pulled in 20 directions:
Push acquisition for BFCM
Clear stock
Manage the Christmas period
Manage margins on discounts
Prep retention for January
Keep customer support from melting down
If you chase all of it equally, you’ll end up with busywork and no big wins.
How OKRs can help
OKRs force you to pick one to three objectives that matter most this quarter: then tie them to clear, measurable results.
For example:
Objective: Grow revenue from Q4 acquisition without eroding margins.
KR1: Acquire X new customers at a CAC that pays back in ≤ 3 months.
KR2: Increase % of Q4 new customers who order again in January from 20% → 30%.
Notice what’s not here? “Run 3 influencer campaigns.” “Launch 5 BFCM offers.” Those are initiatives. If they don’t move the needle on the key results, they don’t matter.
What to watch out for
A few common issues I see when setting OKRs:
Vanity KPIs. “Revenue up 50%” sounds great… but is it profitable revenue? Is it repeatable?
Too many goals. If your OKR list looks like your Christmas wish list, you’re doing it wrong.
Misaligned teams. Don’t set marketing’s OKRs in a silo. Retention and acquisition need to feed into the same goal.
Why this matters beyond December
Another big Q4 rookie mistake I see (a bonus one just for you) is forgetting January. Your OKRs shouldn’t stop at the 31st of December.
They should carry through to what happens next, how you keep the new customers you just worked so hard (and spent so much) to get.
Recommendation
In every edition of Growth Waves, I also share a related resource to check out related to the week's topic.
This newsletter was inspired by a workshop I ran for RevenueCat on this very topic with:
Rosie Hoggmascall - Author of Growth Dives and Growth Lead at Fyxer.ai
Hanna Grevelius - Chief Product Officer at Bruce Studios, previously at Golf Gamebook and Fishbrain.
It’s filled with practical, sharp, and rich with real-world examples of startups using OKRs well.
So as you plan Q4, ask yourself: what’s the one thing that, if achieved, will make the chaos worth it?
That’s your objective. Build your key results around it, and let the rest fall away.
See you next week,
Daphne