How to introduce an objectives and key results style system in a way that helps an early stage SaaS team focus rather than adding bureaucracy.
Limit the number of objectives aggressively
For a company that is still searching for repeatable go to market, a long list of objectives is a warning sign. Start with one or two company level objectives per quarter that describe the outcomes you need most: a specific retention target, a launch milestone, a key segment experiment.
Each team then defines a very short set of supporting objectives. The role of the CS and operations leader is to make sure those objectives line up cleanly, remove duplicates and highlight conflicts before the quarter starts.
Make metrics boring and reliable
The value of an MBO or OKR system is tied directly to the quality of its metrics. Fancy formulas that depend on manual spreadsheets will quietly die. Start with simple measures that you can calculate the same way every week, even if they are imperfect.
Invest just enough time to document definitions such as active account, healthy deployment or successful onboarding. Doing this early prevents circular debates later when results are on the line.
Use reviews to coach, not to perform
If reviews turn into scripted performance updates, people will optimize for looking good rather than surfacing issues. Set the expectation that missed targets are handled as learning opportunities and design the agenda accordingly.
Ask teams to come prepared with what they are seeing, what they have tried and where they are stuck. Over time this builds a culture where objectives are tools for focus, not a quarterly compliance exercise.