How GoNoodle Launched OKRs in 18 Days (Real OKR Implementations #1)

This is the first in a series of episodes featuring "Real OKR Implementation" stories.

Many organizations adopt OKRs because they want focus, alignment, and execution discipline.

But small and fast-growing companies face a unique challenge:

• They must move quickly
• They cannot afford bureaucracy
• They cannot rely on heavy process
• Yet they still need clarity and coordination

GoNoodle, a company focused on helping kids stay active and engaged, successfully launched OKRs in a growth-stage company in just 18 days!

The Situation: Growth Created Urgency

After raising new capital, GoNoodle entered a period of aggressive growth. Leadership knew that without a clear system, the organization could quickly lose focus.

As their co-founder described:

“The growth plan was aggressive. We knew it would introduce a new level of complexity and potential chaos. How would we stay focused on the right things? How would we define and measure our most important work?”

They discovered OKRs and immediately saw the potential — but also understood the risk:

“Failure to launch OKRs well could jade the staff and undermine the whole effort. We had to get it right.”

So they moved quickly — but intentionally.

A Fast Start, With Structure

GoNoodle launched OKRs in just 18 days. But speed alone wasn’t the secret. Structure and cadence were. They began by defining company-level OKRs, then worked closely with each department to translate strategy into measurable team-level outcomes.

Along the way, they discovered: “Writing good key results is an art. In theory it’s simple, but it was much more difficult than expected.”

They also recognized the value of defining success upfront: “We set the scoring criteria for every key result at the time of creation. This was difficult — and extremely valuable.”

Within weeks, OKRs were visible across the company and supported by a regular execution rhythm.

The 2-Cycle OKR Launch Model

The GoNoodle experience closely mirrors what we now formalize at OKRs.com as a two-cycle launch model, designed to build both clarity and capability.

At GoNoodle, this included defining company OKRs first and ensuring each team’s objectives directly supported the company’s direction. They reinforced this through leadership reviews and shared visibility. As their co-founder explained:

• “We review every OKR weekly at the executive level to make sure we are focused on what matters most.”
• “The connecting nature of OKRs, linking company goals to the work of each team, was one of the most compelling parts of the framework.”
• “We now have a level of operating rigor that we never had before.”
• “Clarity of our most important work, more focused execution, transparency around what we are doing, and improved culture.”

GoNoodle reinforced OKRs through:

• Weekly executive OKR reviews
• Mid-quarter team check-ins
• Quarterly company OKR reviews
• Shared visibility of all OKRs
• OKR onboarding for new employees

“OKRs became part of our operating DNA.”

What GoNoodle Achieved

Following the OKRs.com structured approach, GoNoodle experienced:

• Clearer definition of their most important work
• Stronger alignment across teams
• Improved focus and execution
• Greater transparency and accountability
• A disciplined operating rhythm
• Cultural adoption of OKRs

Implications for Small/Growing Organizations

If you are launching OKRs in a smaller or growth-stage company:

• Move fast, but take a structured approach leveraging the 3 phases over 2 cycles.
• Define commit/target/stretch levels of each KR upfront to ensure alignment.
• Make OKRs visible to all!
• Build cadence early.
• Expect improvement with each cycle.; commit to 2 cycles from the start.
• Launch Your OKR Program the Right Way!

How to Launch Your OKR Program

If you’d like to learn how to launch OKRs using our 3-Phase approach over 2 cycles, contact:

Ben@OKRs.com

Thanks for listening!