# Dear Andy Getting Executive Buy in for OKRs > [!question] Lingering Questions > - Does the ideal count of initial company-wide OKRs (the column suggests three or four) scale with organization size, or does a 3,500-person rollout need a different number? > - No controlled study comparing OKR-adopting firms to non-adopters is cited or known to exist per the column itself — does one exist anywhere in the management literature? > [!tip] Article Ideas > - "Pilot, not proof" — a short piece on pitching any new process (not just OKRs) to a wary leadership team using a small, observable pilot instead of upfront ROI data. > [!link] Cross Reference > - [[3. Resources/MOCs/DevRel MOC]] — the pilot-before-scale sequencing pattern applies to rolling out any measurement or process framework across a distributed team. > [!quote] Vocabulary > - **OKR** — Objectives and Key Results; the goal-setting framework this column defends. > - "No set it and forget it" — the operational distinction between OKRs and a static annual goals document: OKRs require regular check-ins and honest grading. ## Bib capsule A reader ("Sara") writes to the "Dear Andy" advice column asking for hard-dollar ROI data to convince an apprehensive executive team before rolling OKRs out to 3,500 employees. Columnist Billy Casey, writing for the What Matters team, replies that no such study is known to them, makes a qualitative case for OKRs, and recommends a phased, top-down rollout. ## Author's thesis Executive skepticism about a large-scale OKR rollout is better addressed by a small, visible, top-level pilot than by hunting for external ROI proof that doesn't exist in a rigorous form; the pilot's own results, plus disciplined check-in and grading cadence, become the evidence. ## Key arguments (≤3) 1. **Start small and at the top** — three or four high-level, company-wide OKRs piloted with leadership reduces rollout risk and creates observable evidence before a 3,500-person launch. 2. **Cadence, not the goal document, is what makes OKRs different** — regular check-ins and honest grading replace "set it and forget it" annual planning. 3. **Adopter success stories are correlation, not proof** — the column itself flags that citing companies that use OKRs isn't causal evidence, and recommends looking for internal before/after signal instead. ## Claim atoms ### Pilot OKRs at the top before org-wide rollout > [!quote] ID:rw_01kwz6q3qagyr3zn4jtcrv7fwc > We recommended starting small and starting at the top. Three or four high-level, company-wide OKRs are the best way to get started. Reply paragraph advising against a simultaneous 3,500-person launch — the strongest reusable move: reduce blast radius and create observable evidence for skeptics. ### Check-ins and grading replace set-and-forget goals > [!quote] ID:rw_01kwz6q3qagyr3zn4jtcrv7fwc > There's no "set it and forget it" with OKRs, because... Names the operational core distinguishing OKRs from annual goal docs — cadence (check-ins + honest grading) is what creates commitment and course-correction. ### Adopter logos are correlation, not proof > [!quote] ID:rw_01kwz6q3qagyr3zn4jtcrv7fwc > We're not saying OKRs were the only factor in these companies' success, of course, but they certainly were a common one. The author self-limits an appeal-to-popularity move — a reminder to hunt for internal before/after evidence over borrowed brand success. ## Permanent candidates - **Buy-in comes from a watchable pilot, not up-front proof** — strongest candidate; general beyond OKRs to any new-process pitch to wary leadership. Promoted below. ## Processing checklist - [x] Port existing deep-read analysis into Konik Literature format - [x] Checked for existing permanent note before creating - [x] Promote the pilot-buy-in permanent candidate - [x] Connect into the relevant MOC ## Metadata - Source: [[3. Resources/Readwise/Articles/Dear Andy Getting Executive Buy in for OKRs]] ## Links - [[3. Resources/MOCs/DevRel MOC]] — process-adoption sequencing (pilot before org-wide rollout) is a recurring DevRel and community-program pattern. - [[3. Resources/MOCs/Product & Startup Instincts MOC]] — applies-in: the MOC lists this note under Synthesis additions (2026-08-21).