# OKRs vs. KPIs

OKRs tell you where you're going. KPIs tell you if anything's breaking along the way.

Most teams confuse the two and end up with OKRs that look like "Don't release any new bugs" or "Maintain 99.9% uptime." These make terrible OKRs because they encourage playing defense. The easiest way to achieve zero bugs is to stop shipping code.

But bug rates and uptime are still important to track. They just don't belong in your OKRs.

## The Difference

OKRs should be fail-by-default. They state where you're going and give you metrics to judge when you've arrived. They require bold action and investment to achieve.

KPIs are metrics that are important to watch but not something you're actively trying to change right now. They're health checks that warn you when something might be going off the rails.

If OKRs give your teams direction, KPIs make sure nothing breaks while you're getting there.

## How to Use Them

Use KPIs to monitor business health—site uptime, conversion rates, user retention, code quality. If a KPI starts trending in the wrong direction and becomes urgent enough to justify investment, it graduates to become part of an OKR.

The passive KPI "Conversion rate — 5%" becomes the active objective "Double conversion rate by August."

Use KPIs to keep an eye on things. Use OKRs when you'll make a change.