Life often feels like a race against time. Whether you’re 20, 40, or 60, there’s a nagging voice that sometimes whispers, “You’re late.” But what if you’re not late at all? What if you’re simply in your Season 1?
Many beloved TV series begin with characters who are clueless about their goals or how to achieve them. Think of classics like Friends, The Office, or Breaking Bad. These series didn’t start with their protagonists at the peak of their journeys. Instead, they started with awkward first steps, mistakes, and moments of doubt. Season 1 is rarely glamorous, yet it lays the foundation for the greatness to come.
Season 1: The Setup, Not the Summary
In life, as in TV, the first season is about exploration. It’s when you figure out what works, what doesn’t, and who you are becoming. The characters we grow to love don’t know their full potential in Season 1. They stumble through odd jobs, complicated relationships, and missteps that, in hindsight, were pivotal to their growth.
Your life might be following a similar arc. Perhaps you’re juggling different interests, questioning your choices, or feeling unsure about the future. That’s normal. Great stories are messy in the beginning.
Embracing the Unknown
Most successful series don’t reveal their overarching narrative from the start. Game of Thrones begins with politics and intrigue before unveiling dragons and destiny. Parks and Recreation started as a quirky local government sitcom before evolving into a heartfelt exploration of ambition and community.
Likewise, your life’s story may have layers yet to unfold. It’s okay to not have all the answers right now. The process of discovery—those “pilot episodes” of trial and error—adds depth to your journey.
Late Starts Are Not Failures
Some of the most iconic characters achieve their breakthroughs later in their arcs. Walter White doesn’t break bad until his mid-life crisis. Leslie Knope doesn’t achieve her ambitions overnight. Their journeys remind us that being “late” often just means arriving on time for your own story.
Similarly, countless real-world figures began their Season 1 long after society told them they were “too old.” Vera Wang didn’t design her first dress until her 40s. Colonel Sanders franchised KFC in his 60s. Their success wasn’t diminished by the timing—it was enhanced by the richness of their experiences.
Writing Your Script
If you’re in your Season 1, take heart. Focus on building your character, learning from challenges, and exploring your passions. Remember, the best series build anticipation by letting the plot unfold naturally. Your story is no different.
Every great show starts somewhere, and every person’s journey begins with a Season 1. Don’t rush the process. Give yourself permission to explore, fail, and grow. After all, the best is yet to come.
As we look forward to the opportunities and challenges of 2025, the world continues to evolve at a rapid pace. New technologies, changing work environments, and novel ways to connect with others mean that the bar for success is constantly shifting—and we must shift along with it. Whether you’re launching a startup, adapting to remote work, or pursuing a personal passion, the key to standing out in this ever-changing landscape is the willingness to do more than just “try.” It’s about finding that extra grit, that extra determination, that extra “umph” to turn mere attempts into genuine triumphs. By harnessing the power of persistence and resilience, you can make 2025 your most impactful year yet.
The Power of “Umph”
Have you ever noticed how the word “triumph” is just “try” with a little extra something added? That extra something—spelled “umph”—embodies the special push that distinguishes success from mere attempt. It’s more than just a playful twist of the English language. It’s a reminder that true achievement often comes down to the willingness to add a bit more grit, determination, and perseverance.
Going Beyond Comfort
No great achievement ever occurred in the realm of comfort. Whether you’re learning an advanced skill, aiming for career growth, or launching a new project, there will come a time when your initial enthusiasm starts to fade. That’s precisely the point at which “umph” becomes essential. By stepping outside your comfort zone—by being willing to push past fatigue, doubt, and discouragement—you turn a mere “try” into a genuine stride toward “triumph.”
Embracing Setbacks
“Umph” also involves resilience—learning to treat failures and setbacks not as reasons to quit, but as feedback that shapes and strengthens your approach. A failed proposal can become a motivational springboard to refine your craft. A misstep in your strategy can lead you to revise your process until it resonates more effectively. Every stumble or detour is an opportunity to learn and gather the extra “umph” needed to move forward.
The Ripple Effect of Persistence
When you decide to go the extra mile, you don’t just change yourself—you often inspire those around you. People who witness your determination can be motivated to pursue their own goals more courageously. This collective atmosphere of persistence and positive energy sets the stage for broader transformations, where one person’s unwavering resolve becomes the catalyst for a community of doers.
Cultivating “Umph” in Everyday Life
Set Clear Goals: Be specific about what success looks like. Clarity makes it easier to persist when the going gets tough.
Break It Down: Turn your big dreams into small, achievable steps, building momentum along the way.
Reward Progress: Celebrate small wins. Recognizing each forward step keeps your motivation strong.
Stay Accountable: Whether it’s a friend, mentor, or team, sharing your goals fosters commitment.
Learn from Failure: Reframe any setback as an opportunity to build resilience and sharpen your methods.
Conclusion
The difference between “try” and “triumph” truly is found in that extra “umph.” It’s the extra energy we invest, the resilience we build through setbacks, and the determination we summon when it would be easier to quit. By embracing the “umph”—by committing yourself wholeheartedly—you turn a mere attempt into a remarkable achievement. So, as 2025 unfolds and presents new challenges and opportunities, remember: all you need is a little more “umph” to transform your story into one of triumph.
Measuring performance is one of the most critical aspects of running a successful organization. It provides the data and feedback necessary to refine strategies, optimize operations, and adapt to changing market conditions. Two of the most popular frameworks for performance measurement are OKRs (Objectives and Key Results) and KPIs (Key Performance Indicators). Although they both play a role in assessing progress, they do so in slightly different ways—and choosing the right approach can have a significant impact on an organization’s success.
In this article, we will explore the differences between OKRs and KPIs, the benefits of each, practical tips for creating and implementing them, and real-world examples to illustrate their use.
1. What Are OKRs?
OKRs (Objectives and Key Results) is a goal-setting framework popularized by tech giants such as Intel, Google, and LinkedIn. It helps organizations, teams, and individuals articulate what they want to achieve (Objectives) and how they know if they have achieved it (Key Results).
Objectives: Broad, inspirational goals that you want to reach. They should be ambitious, clear, and direction-setting.
Key Results: Specific, measurable metrics that indicate progress toward the objective. They outline the criteria for success—if you meet or exceed the Key Results, you have achieved the objective.
An OKR cycle usually spans a set time frame—often quarterly—with frequent check-ins to track progress. The key idea is transparency, alignment, and a focus on outcomes rather than tasks.
1.1 Benefits of Using OKRs
Alignment and Focus: OKRs help ensure that everyone is working toward the same overarching goals. By defining clear Objectives and Key Results, teams and individuals can align their efforts in a focused manner.
Transparency: In many companies, OKRs are shared publicly within the organization, so everyone knows what others are working on and how it connects to the bigger picture.
Ambition and Stretch Goals: Objectives are meant to be inspirational and challenging. This drives teams to push beyond their comfort zone and pursue significant achievements.
Agility and Iteration: Because OKRs are often reviewed frequently (weekly or bi-weekly check-ins), teams can make quick course corrections if they see they are off track.
1.2 How to Create Effective OKRs
Define Objectives: Start by asking, “What do we want to accomplish?” Objectives should be ambitious yet realistic, and they should provide a clear direction.
Establish Key Results: For each Objective, define 2–5 Key Results that are quantifiable and measurable. Ask, “How will we know if we’re successful?”
Set Time Frames: Most organizations use quarterly OKRs to keep them relevant and urgent.
Ensure Alignment: Each team or individual’s OKRs should roll up into the broader organizational goals.
Regular Check-Ins: Schedule regular (often weekly) check-ins to review progress, discuss challenges, and pivot if needed.
Evaluate and Reflect: At the end of the OKR cycle, reflect on what worked, what didn’t, and how to improve in the next round.
1.3 OKR Examples
Company-Level Objective: Expand the company’s global footprint in the next quarter.
Key Result 1: Increase international website traffic by 50%.
Key Result 2: Set up operations in two new countries.
Key Result 3: Achieve 10% of total revenue from new international markets.
Team-Level Objective: Improve user satisfaction for our mobile app.
Key Result 1: Increase average app rating from 4.0 to 4.5 on the app store.
Key Result 2: Reduce support tickets related to app performance by 30%.
Key Result 3: Achieve a 20% increase in daily active users (DAU).
2. What Are KPIs?
KPIs (Key Performance Indicators) are quantifiable measures used to evaluate the success of an organization, team, project, or individual in meeting objectives over time. Unlike OKRs, which are often used to drive change and push boundaries, KPIs are typically used to monitor and maintain performance against established targets.
KPIs can be found in every aspect of a business—from sales figures, financial metrics, customer satisfaction scores, and product performance statistics, to human resources metrics, such as employee turnover and engagement rates.
2.1 Benefits of Using KPIs
Monitoring Stability: KPIs are excellent for tracking ongoing performance and detecting issues early. If a KPI starts trending downward, it’s a signal to investigate and correct course.
Decision-Making Tool: Because KPIs are typically numerical, they can serve as benchmarks for data-driven decision-making.
Clarity and Consistency: By measuring the same KPIs consistently, organizations can maintain clarity on their progress over time.
Performance Benchmarking: KPIs can be compared across time, departments, or even against industry standards, offering valuable insights into how you stack up.
2.2 How to Develop Effective KPIs
Identify Key Areas: Pinpoint the areas that are most critical to your business or team success. This might be sales, customer satisfaction, growth metrics, etc.
Define Clear Metrics: A KPI should be quantifiable, actionable, and relevant. For instance, instead of “improve sales,” define something like “achieve monthly recurring revenue (MRR) of $200,000.”
Set Targets: Determine a target or threshold for each KPI. Are you aiming for a certain percentage increase? A specific revenue figure?
Choose Time Frames: Decide how frequently you will measure each KPI—daily, weekly, monthly, or quarterly.
Assign Ownership: Each KPI should have an owner who is accountable for tracking progress and reporting results.
Review and Refine: Regularly review KPI performance and refine metrics or targets as needed.
2.3 KPI Examples
Sales and Marketing KPIs
Monthly Recurring Revenue (MRR)
Conversion Rate (from leads to customers)
Customer Acquisition Cost (CAC)
Customer Lifetime Value (CLV)
Customer Success and Support KPIs
Net Promoter Score (NPS)
Average Resolution Time (in customer support)
First-Contact Resolution Rate
Customer Retention Rate
Operations and Engineering KPIs
System Uptime (e.g., 99.9% availability)
Average Deploy Frequency (e.g., continuous deployment rate)
Mean Time to Recovery (MTTR) after an incident
Defect Density (issues found per 1,000 lines of code)
3. Comparing OKRs and KPIs
OKRs and KPIs serve different purposes, although sometimes they can overlap. Here are the main differences:
Focus vs. Monitoring
OKRs focus on growth, stretch goals, and transformation.
KPIs focus on monitoring and maintaining specific performance levels.
Ambition vs. Stability
OKRs encourage ambitious, sometimes aspirational goals designed to drive significant change.
KPIs often revolve around stable or incremental improvements to existing processes.
Time Frame
OKRs are often set for a specific, relatively short time frame (e.g., quarterly) with frequent check-ins and an emphasis on continuous improvement.
KPIs tend to be measured consistently over longer periods (monthly, quarterly, yearly) to track trends and ensure stability.
Flexibility
OKRs may be adjusted mid-cycle if circumstances change, reflecting an agile mindset.
KPIs are relatively stable because they measure the ongoing health of the business.
Transparency and Alignment
OKRs are generally shared publicly within the organization, promoting cross-functional alignment and collaboration.
KPIs may be shared at different levels (team-level, managerial-level, or executive-level), but are often seen as performance benchmarks tied to specific roles or departments.
4. Choosing the Right Approach
Many organizations find value in combining both frameworks. OKRs drive innovation and stretch goals, while KPIs provide a strong foundation for keeping the business healthy. In simpler terms, consider KPIs as the vital signs of your ongoing operations, while OKRs offer a roadmap for future growth and innovation.
4.1 When to Use OKRs
When you need to drive significant change or transformation in a short time frame.
When you want to align teams around ambitious goals and encourage collaboration.
When you prefer transparency and frequent iteration to keep everyone focused.
When your main aim is to push beyond incremental improvements and try new strategies.
4.2 When to Use KPIs
When you want to monitor the long-term health of your operations.
When you require consistent benchmarks to guide everyday decisions and measure stable processes.
When you need to quickly spot issues or deviations from expected performance.
When your focus is on incremental improvements or maintaining certain standards.
5. Implementation Guides
5.1 Implementation Guide for OKRs
Set the Stage: Communicate the purpose of OKRs throughout the organization. Provide training or workshops so everyone understands how to set and track OKRs.
Align with Company Goals: Start with the organization’s overarching mission or vision. Define a few top-level Objectives and Key Results for the entire company.
Cascade OKRs: Encourage teams and individuals to create their own OKRs that align with the company-level OKRs.
Transparency and Ownership: Store OKRs in a shared platform or document, so everyone can see them. Assign owners for each Key Result.
Regular Check-Ins: Hold weekly or bi-weekly meetings to review progress, discuss roadblocks, and celebrate wins. Adjust targets if necessary.
End-of-Cycle Review: At the end of the quarter (or chosen cycle), assess how well you performed against the Key Results. Document learnings and use these insights to set new OKRs.
Tips for Success:
Keep the number of Objectives small (3–5 at most) to maintain focus.
Make sure Key Results are quantifiable—this is the only way to objectively measure success.
Don’t be afraid to set ambitious goals. Even if you only achieve 70–80% of the target, you may still outperform prior periods.
5.2 Implementation Guide for KPIs
Identify Core Functions: Determine the key aspects of your business that need consistent monitoring (e.g., sales, operations, marketing, customer support).
Select Relevant Metrics: Choose KPIs that truly reflect the health of each function. Involve stakeholders to gain insights and buy-in.
Set Targets and Thresholds: Define what success looks like. Is it 95% customer satisfaction? 10,000 new sign-ups per month? Clarify these targets.
Establish Reporting Cadence: Decide how often you will measure and review each KPI—daily, weekly, monthly, or quarterly.
Data Collection and Tools: Ensure you have the systems in place to track and measure your KPIs accurately. This could involve CRM systems, analytics software, or custom dashboards.
Regular Reporting: Build a culture of data-driven decision-making by sharing KPI reports during team meetings and management reviews.
Adjust and Improve: If a KPI isn’t providing useful insights or if it stops being relevant, refine or replace it.
Tips for Success:
Limit the number of KPIs to avoid “analysis paralysis.” Focus on the metrics that truly matter.
Make sure KPIs are used as insights, not just numbers. Discuss them openly to drive improvements.
Celebrate achievements when teams meet or exceed their KPI targets.
6. Real-World Examples
Example 1: A SaaS Startup
OKR: Expand user base in a new market within the quarter.
Key Results:
Acquire 1,000 new users in the European market.
Implement local payment methods in 3 new countries.
Raise brand awareness by collaborating with 2 industry influencers.
KPI: Monitor monthly user churn rate and user engagement.
Target churn rate: < 5% per month.
Target DAU (Daily Active Users): 20% of total user base.
Here, the OKR drives a transformational goal (expanding into a new market), while the KPI ensures the ongoing health of the existing user base.
Example 2: An E-commerce Company
OKR: Increase customer lifetime value (CLV) by improving the loyalty program.
Key Results:
Increase average purchase frequency by 20%.
Boost repeat purchase rate from 30% to 40%.
Launch a new premium loyalty program tier with 5,000 sign-ups.
KPI: Track Net Promoter Score (NPS) and conversion rate on the website.
Target NPS: 60 or higher.
Conversion rate goal: 5% during promotional campaigns.
Here, the OKR aims to transform how customers engage with the brand, and the KPIs keep track of the regular performance metrics—NPS and conversion rate.
7. Conclusion
Both OKRs and KPIs are invaluable tools for measuring and improving organizational performance. While KPIs serve as the stable, ongoing indicators of success, OKRs drive you to aim higher and push boundaries. In many cases, companies use both to maintain a balanced approach: use KPIs to gauge overall health and consistency, and use OKRs to ignite ambition and focus on short-term breakthroughs.
When properly implemented, these frameworks foster clarity, alignment, and accountability across all levels of an organization. By understanding when and how to use each—choosing the right tool for the right job—you can keep your teams motivated, your operations running smoothly, and your business on a path to continuous growth and success.
Engineering is about building bridges – between systems, communities, and people. 2024 taught me that the strongest bridges are built not just with code, but with collaboration and trust.
Like a well-designed distributed system, impact scales through connection points. This year brought new opportunities to strengthen those connections:
Technical Architecture 🏗️ • Elevated to Distinguished Engineer at Morgan Stanley • Led quantum computing initiatives through FINOS Zenith SIG • Contributed to ComposeUI achieving FDC3 2.0 conformance • Advanced XR adoption in financial services
Community Foundation 🌉 • Appointed FINOS Ambassador and Vice Chair of Technical Oversight Committee • Continued Microsoft MVP journey in .NET Technologies • Expanded DEI initiatives through FINOS • Mentored next generation through KOMP program
Three posts that resonated deeply with our community:
“Starting a new position as Distinguished Engineer” On how success is built through collective wisdom and support https://lnkd.in/ei7ixDSY
“I’m happy to share that I’m starting a new role as Vice Chair” On shaping the future of open source in finance https://lnkd.in/eFaDZGFS
“Microsoft MVP Recognition” On how community contribution leads to unexpected rewards https://lnkd.in/eRN_aK6t
Looking toward 2025, we’re expanding these bridges: • Advancing quantum computing applications in finance • Growing open source adoption through FINOS initiatives • Mentoring more developers through KOMP • Completing my book on high-performance .NET
As we compile our achievements for 2024, let’s remember – the best code isn’t just efficient, it’s inclusive. Here’s to building more bridges in 2025. 🌉
After coauthor.studio, I tried Cleve.AI‘s similar service too. It made some interesting mistakes, let me know if you spot them 😀
📊 My 2024 LinkedIn stats (from Cleve.ai): – 542 posts – 9,401 total reactions – 1,434 comments
Here’s 10 lessons I learned in 2024: 🙏 Gratitude is essential; acknowledge everyone who supports your journey. 🌟 Mentorship can propel your career; cherish every mentor’s advice. 🤝 Collaboration and teamwork pave the way for innovation and success. 🔗 Building strong relationships in the tech community amplifies your impact. 📈 Active participation in community activities fosters growth and learning. 🔄 Paying it forward creates a cycle of support and encouragement. 🤲 Trust is the cornerstone of strong partnerships and community engagement. 🌈 Diversity and inclusion must be at the forefront of every initiative. 📚 Pursue your passions—writing a book can share your expertise with others. 🏆 Recognition, like the MVP award, reflects the collective effort of many.
My 3 favourite personal highlights in 2024:
1️⃣ Traveling to Davos and reflecting on personal growth for my birthday. 2️⃣ Awarded Microsoft MVP for contributions to .NET community! 3️⃣ Started as Distinguished Engineer at Morgan Stanley! 🎉
Looking forward to more amazing experiences ahead! 🌟
