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- Measure What Matters - John Doerr: Know if your product will make money
Measure What Matters - John Doerr: Know if your product will make money
Before spending months building
Vijay Peduru
November 28, 2024
Scan Time: 3-5 minutes / Read time: 7-9 minutes
Chapters in book: 21 / Chapters in here: 12
Hey rebel solopreneurs 🦸♂️🦸♀️
Are you working super hard on your online business but seeing no real sales or growth?
You might burn out before you ever start making real money (and that's a total nightmare when you're trying to become financially free).
Measure what matters from John Doerr will help you track the right numbers in your online business, so you can grow quickly without working around the clock.
Just like The Avengers had to focus on the right threats to save the world (not chase every minor villain), you need to track what actually matters in your digital product business!
Ready to multiply your digital product sales while doing less work?
Let's rock and roll!
💰 Multi-millionaire entrepreneurs who love this book
Entrepreneur name | Net worth | Source |
|---|---|---|
Bill Gates | Billionaire | |
Reid Hoffman | Billionaire | |
Larry Page | Billionaire | |
John Chambers | Multimillionaire | |
Dustin Moskovitz | Billionaire | |
Jim Collins | Multimillionaire |
🚫 Traditional methods which the author disagrees with
Obsessing over follower counts and likes instead of tracking what actually leads to sales
Spreading your limited time and energy across too many different projects
Having big dreams without specific, measurable goals to reach them
🍹 The book's core solution
OKRs (Objectives and Key Results)
You'll discover exactly how to set clear objectives for your digital products and measure them with concrete results
This leads to laser-focused action that grows your audience AND income (finally, no more wasted effort on tasks that don't increase your earnings!)
John Doerr started his career as an engineer at Intel in the 1970s
He was trying to understand what made some teams so much more successful than others
The crisis hit when he saw talented teams failing because they were working on too many things at once (and boy, was it painful to watch brilliant people spinning their wheels)
The chaos was destroying morale and killing results across the company
· · ·
BREAKTHROUGH! Everything changed when Andy Grove, Intel's CEO, introduced a simple goal-setting system
Doerr realized most companies had no idea how to set proper goals or measure what really mattered
The core principle was brutally simple: set clear objectives and measure them with concrete results
This OKR framework became the secret weapon that drove Intel's massive success
· · ·
After mastering OKRs at Intel, Doerr brought the system to Google when they were just a tiny startup of 40 people
Google used OKRs to grow from that small team into a $800 billion tech giant (and they still use the system today!)
Doerr became one of Silicon Valley's most successful venture capitalists, investing in and helping grow companies like Amazon, Twitter, and Uber
· · ·
Time to explore if Matt, a solopreneur can use these ideas to go from overwhelmed content creator to digital product powerhouse!
Buckle up and let's go!
📖 The story: Matt's journey to digital product success.
Meet Matt:
His idea: Creating minimalism and productivity courses for overwhelmed professionals
His target audience: Busy professionals who want to simplify their lives and be more productive
His money making plan: Building digital courses and templates while growing on YouTube and Instagram (with an email list as his home base)
His dream: Making enough passive income from digital products to quit his day job and travel more
(And honestly, who wouldn't want that freedom?)
🆘 The crisis
Matt was creating tons of content but his digital product sales were stuck.
He was ready to give up on his passive income dreams.
While ordering at his favorite boba shop, he overheard someone talking passionately about business metrics.
That someone was John, a successful entrepreneur who advises other business owners.
Matt told John about his struggle to grow his digital product sales despite his growing audience.
Kazam-Boom! I can totally help you focus on the right metrics, Matt! exclaimed John, striking a superhero pose.
For the first time in months, Matt felt like he might actually succeed in his solopreneur journey.
🔥 The challenge
Matt explained how he was posting constantly on social media but his digital product sales weren't growing at all
Core Problem: Creating tons of content without getting any actual sales
· · ·
🌈 The big idea
Zoinks-scoob!, You gotta know about Moonshot Thinking, Matt!, hollered John
Moonshot Thinking means setting clear objectives (what you want) and measurable results (how you'll know you got there)
Instead of vague goals like "grow my audience," you need specific targets like "increase email list by 500 subscribers who are interested in buying products"
➡️ Write down your top 3 objectives for the next 90 days with exact numbers for each one
Just like in The Matrix when Neo had to focus on bending the spoon with his mind, you need to focus your business energy on the few things that actually matter
· · ·
🏄 Example
Basecamp (formerly 37signals) was drowning in feature requests and development tasks for their project management app
They implemented OKRs focusing only on metrics that drove customer success - specifically onboarding completion and daily active use
Their first key result was to increase new project creation by 30% within 30 days, which forced them to simplify their interface
By focusing just on user activation metrics, Basecamp grew their customer base by 40% in six months while actually removing features rather than adding them
· · ·
🎁 The breakthrough
Holy Moly! blurted Matt, his jaw dropping
I've been tracking followers and likes but not conversions to my email list or product page visits
I need to set 3 clear objectives for my business and track actual results like email sign-ups and mini-course sales
Core Solution: Focus only on goals that can be measured with real numbers
Chapter 2: 🧠 The OKR Formula: This strange equation could transform your business overnight
🔥 The challenge
Matt was reflecting on his need to set better objectives but wasn't sure how to structure them properly
He was worried his goals would be too vague or too complicated to actually follow through on
Core Problem: Having goals too vague to guide daily actions
· · ·
🌈 The big idea
You need to understand The OKR Formula, Matt!, exclaimed John, knocking over his boba cup
The OKR Formula has two parts: Objectives (big goals that tell you WHERE to go) and Key Results (numbers that show HOW you'll get there)
Good objectives are short, exciting, and hard - like "Make the best productivity course for busy people"
➡️ Create 1-3 objectives with 3-5 specific, numbered results for each that you'll check weekly
Just like in Inception when they needed to plant an idea deep enough to stick, your goals need to be clear and simple enough that you can remember them without looking
· · ·
🏄 Example
Google was trying to improve their new employee performance but had too many onboarding programs
They implemented the OKR formula with one clear objective: "Make new hires productive within 6 weeks"
Their key results included specific targets: 100% of new hires complete orientation, 75% ship code in first month, and 90% report clear understanding of their role
By focusing on these specific onboarding metrics instead of just satisfaction surveys, Google reduced time-to-productivity for new engineers by 33%
· · ·
🎁 The breakthrough
Holy Smoke! exclaimed Matt, looking upward thoughtfully
I've been setting fuzzy goals like "grow my YouTube channel" with no specific numbers or timeframes
I'll create one main objective around my productivity course with key results like "200 email subscribers from YouTube" and "50 course preview signups"
Core Solution: Turn "grow my business" into exact targets like "get 50 new email subscribers this month"
Chapter 3: ⚔️ Battle Plan: The counterintuitive secret weapon that multiplies your results
🔥 The challenge
Matt was thinking about how to apply OKRs when he had such limited time for his side hustle
He felt overwhelmed by all the social platforms and content types he "should" be creating
Core Problem: Trying to be on all social platforms with limited time
· · ·
🌈 The big idea
You need a Battle Plan, Matt!, boomed John, pulling an imaginary sword
A Battle Plan means picking ONE main place to work instead of trying to be everywhere with your small amount of time
When you work alone, you need to pick the 1-2 places (like YouTube or Instagram) where you'll do best, and say NO to all other places
➡️ Pick your best platform and set specific goals to dominate there before trying others
Just like in Lord of the Rings when they had to focus all their energy on destroying the ring instead of fighting multiple battles, you need to focus your limited time on one main goal
· · ·
🏄 Example
Intel was falling behind competitors and losing market share across multiple products
They created a Battle Plan focusing on dominating just one key market segment: microprocessors for personal computers
They set specific targets including capturing 50% of the PC processor market within 18 months through "Operation Crush"
By focusing entirely on the PC processor market, Intel not only won back their position but established the x86 architecture that dominated computing for decades to come
· · ·
🎁 The breakthrough
Holy Guacamole! Matt said, fist pumping excitedly
I've been trying to grow on YouTube, Instagram, AND my newsletter all at once with my limited side hustle time
I need to focus 90% of my energy on YouTube since that's where my audience connects best with my teaching style
Core Solution: Get really good at one platform before trying others
Chapter 4: 🎯 Priority Power: The shocking truth about why "less" creates more success
🔥 The challenge
Matt had been thinking about his Battle Plan and focusing on YouTube
He was still struggling with which YouTube content ideas to pursue since he had so many
Core Problem: Having too many content ideas but finishing very few
· · ·
🌈 The big idea
Great-Galaxies!, You need Priority Power, Matt!, hollered John, dramatically whispering the last part
Priority Power means saying NO to most ideas - even good ones - so you can say YES to the really great ones
Instead of making 10 okay videos, it's better to make 3 super good ones that actually help sell your products
➡️ List all your content ideas, rank them by potential sales impact, then cut the bottom 70%
Just like in Moneyball when they had to ignore traditional baseball metrics and focus only on on-base percentage, you need to ignore vanity metrics and focus only on what drives actual income
· · ·
🏄 Example
Apple under Steve Jobs was creating dozens of products across different categories with limited success
Jobs implemented Priority Power by cutting 70% of Apple's product line to focus on just four core products
He set one key result: make each product best-in-class in its category with no compromises
By ruthlessly eliminating even popular products to focus on fewer, better ones, Apple grew from near bankruptcy to become one of the world's most valuable companies
· · ·
🎁 The breakthrough
Holy Cow! blurted Matt, slapping the table
I've been making videos on whatever topics inspired me that week, not what would actually drive people to my products
I need to focus my next 3 months of content entirely around productivity systems that lead viewers toward my productivity course
Core Solution: Say no to most ideas so you can complete the best ones
Chapter 5: 🔍 Laser Focus: Why the most successful people delete 90% of their to-do list
🔥 The challenge
Matt was excited about his new YouTube focus, but still felt scattered within that platform
He was torn between making viral-style videos for growth and educational content that would lead to product sales
Core Problem: Tracking likes, views, and subscribers instead of sales
· · ·
🌈 The big idea
You need Laser Focus, Matt!, exclaimed John, jumping from his chair
Laser Focus means picking ONE number that matters most to your business right now
For someone selling online products, people on your email list are usually worth more than social media followers
➡️ Choose the ONE number that most directly leads to sales and focus everything on improving it
Just like in Jaws when they had to focus solely on catching the shark instead of worrying about tourism, you need to focus on the one metric that will make or break your business
· · ·
🏄 Example
Remind, a communication platform for teachers, was tracking dozens of metrics and making little progress
They applied Laser Focus by choosing just one metric: teacher engagement rate
Their single key result became "50% of teachers send at least one message per week"
By focusing everything on this single metric, Remind grew to over 20 million active users and became the dominant communication platform in education
· · ·
🎁 The breakthrough
Holy Mackerel! Matt exclaimed, blinking rapidly
I've been spreading myself thin tracking views, likes, comments, AND shares instead of focusing on what matters
I'll make email list growth my north star metric since those are the people most likely to buy my products
Core Solution: Pick one key number that directly leads to sales in your business
Chapter 6: 🔄 Team Sync: The missing puzzle piece that makes everything click into place
🔥 The challenge
Matt was making progress with his focused YouTube strategy
He was struggling to connect his content creation with his product development and email marketing
Core Problem: Creating YouTube videos about productivity, sending emails about minimalism, then wondering why your time management course isn't selling
· · ·
🌈 The big idea
You need to understand Team Sync, Matt!, boomed John, rubbing his hands excitedly
Team Sync means aligning your content topics, email newsletters, and product development so they all support each other
Even as a solopreneur, you have different project areas that need to work together - content, products, marketing, and admin
➡️ Plan your YouTube videos to attract ideal customers, then use emails to offer them products that solve the exact problems your videos highlight
Just like in Ocean's Eleven when every team member had a specific role that supported the overall heist, every piece of content you create should support your overall business goals
· · ·
🏄 Example
The Android team at Google was creating great features but their app store was growing slowly
They implemented Team Sync by ensuring every feature release had matching content for developers and clear value for users
Their key result was "60% of new phone buyers download at least 3 apps in the first week"
By aligning hardware, software, and developer outreach, Android grew to power over 80% of smartphones worldwide with millions of apps
· · ·
🎁 The breakthrough
Holy Toledo! exclaimed Matt with a sharp clap
I've been making random content that doesn't connect to my email sequences or promote my digital products
I need to map out a content journey that guides viewers from YouTube to email to product purchase
Core Solution: Create content that naturally guides people toward buying your specific products
Chapter 7: 📈 Progress Pulse: The bizarre 15-minute ritual that could double your productivity
🔥 The challenge
Matt was starting to implement his OKRs but wasn't sure how to track them effectively
He worried his goals would just become another forgotten document buried in his Google Drive
Core Problem: Setting goals then forgetting about them completely
· · ·
🌈 The big idea
Whizzo-Wizzo!, You need a Progress Pulse, Matt!, exclaimed John, doing a superhero pose
Progress Pulse means checking your key metrics weekly instead of setting goals once and forgetting them
What you check every week gets better - you need a simple chart with your 3-5 most important numbers
➡️ Block 15 minutes every Sunday morning to update your key numbers and adjust your plans
Just like in Whiplash when the drummer had to constantly check his tempo to stay on beat, you need to regularly check your metrics to stay on track
· · ·
🏄 Example
The YouTube team was struggling to keep everyone focused on what mattered most during rapid growth
They implemented a Progress Pulse system with a Monday meeting focused solely on their core metrics
Their key focus was "weekly watch time per user" which they reviewed in detail every single week
This weekly pulse helped YouTube reach over one billion hours of daily watch time by keeping everyone focused on the user engagement metrics that mattered most
· · ·
🎁 The breakthrough
Holy Cannoli! Matt said, slowly nodding his head
I've been avoiding looking at my numbers because it felt overwhelming, so I never improve what matters
I'll create a simple Monday morning routine to check my email growth, content performance, and product page visits
Core Solution: Set a specific weekly time to review your key metrics which will help in bringing money
Chapter 8: 🚀 Moonshot Goals: The mind trick that unlocks hidden potential you didn't know you had
🔥 The challenge
Matt was setting up his OKRs but wondered if his goals were ambitious enough
He was worried about setting goals too high and getting discouraged if he missed them
Core Problem: Setting goals that are too small and easy to reach
· · ·
🌈 The big idea
You need Moonshot Goals, Matt!, hollered John, pulling out an imaginary bow
Moonshot Goals are targets so big they force you to completely reimagine your approach
Setting super big goals (like 10x growth instead of 10% growth) makes you think of new ideas you'd never try otherwise
➡️ Set at least one goal that seems almost impossible (like 10x growth), then brainstorm completely new ways to reach it
Just like in Apollo 13 when they had to figure out how to get home with limited resources, stretch goals force you to find creative solutions you'd never discover otherwise
· · ·
🏄 Example
When Google Chrome browser launched, the team set a seemingly impossible goal of 20 million weekly users in the first year
Instead of incremental browser improvements, this moonshot goal forced them to rethink browser design from scratch
They tracked weekly active users religiously and pivoted strategies whenever growth slowed
Chrome not only hit but exceeded their moonshot goal, eventually becoming the world's dominant browser with over 2 billion users
· · ·
🎁 The breakthrough
Holy Smokes! blurted Matt, jumping from his chair
I've been setting safe, achievable goals that don't push me to try bold new approaches
I'll set a moonshot goal of 10,000 email subscribers in 6 months to force myself to create truly valuable lead magnets
Core Solution: Set goals so big they force you to try completely new approaches
Chapter 9: 🏎️ Turbo Goals: The unexpected number shift that creates explosive growth
🔥 The challenge
Matt had set his moonshot email subscriber goal but felt stuck on how to achieve it
His current growth rate would take years to hit his target, not months
Core Problem: Growing too slowly to reach your ambitious goals
· · ·
🌈 The big idea
You need Turbo Goals, Matt!, exclaimed John, dramatically pointing skyward
Turbo Goals speed up your growth by shifting what you count from likes and views to things you can act on
Instead of just counting total subscribers, track how many people take each step toward buying and make those steps better
➡️ Draw out the exact steps from when someone discovers you to when they buy, then fix the weakest step
Just like in Ford v Ferrari when they had to focus on shaving seconds off each lap to win, you need to optimize each step of your funnel to hit ambitious goals
· · ·
🏄 Example
YouTube was struggling to grow watch time despite having millions of users
They set a turbo goal of reaching one billion hours of daily watch time - a 10x increase
Instead of measuring video views, they measured watch time and built recommendations around videos people actually completed
This shift helped YouTube reach their billion-hour goal in 2016, transforming the platform into a dominant media force
· · ·
🎁 The breakthrough
Holy Moly! Matt exclaimed, his eyes wide with surprise
I've been measuring total subscribers instead of conversion rates from YouTube viewer to email subscriber
I need to track how many YouTube viewers click my links and what percentage actually sign up
Core Solution: Focus on improving each step in your customer journey
Chapter 10: 💬 CFRs: The invisible force multiplier most entrepreneurs completely miss
🔥 The challenge
Matt was now tracking his key metrics but found himself still procrastinating on some tasks
He struggled with staying accountable to himself as a solopreneur with no team
Core Problem: Having no one to keep you accountable to your goals
· · ·
🌈 The big idea
Wowza-Kapowza!, You need CFRs (Conversations, Feedback, Recognition), Matt!, John said, making finger guns
CFRs are the way to make OKRs actually work by checking in with yourself often
Even alone, you need conversation (thinking about your work), feedback (looking at your numbers), and recognition (celebrating wins)
➡️ Find another solopreneur or join a small group that meets every two weeks to review goals
Just like in Karate Kid when Mr. Miyagi provided regular feedback on Daniel's technique, you need consistent accountability to master new skills
· · ·
🏄 Example
Google was struggling with their traditional annual performance reviews which felt disconnected from daily work
They added CFRs by transforming annual reviews into ongoing conversations focused on OKR progress
They tracked conversation frequency and measured how employees felt about the feedback process
This addition of regular feedback loops increased performance by 30% across the organization and significantly improved team cohesion
· · ·
🎁 The breakthrough
Holy Guacamole! Matt exclaimed with a dramatic gesture
I've been setting goals but not building in any regular accountability or feedback loops
I need to join a mastermind group of other course creators to stay accountable to my OKRs
Core Solution: Find someone else to review your progress regularly
Chapter 11: 🧩 Little Wins: The 1% daily trick that compounds into unstoppable momentum
🔥 The challenge
Matt was making progress with his OKRs but sometimes felt overwhelmed by his big goals
Some days he didn't feel like he was making any progress toward his ambitious targets
Core Problem: Big goals feel too far away to work on today
· · ·
🌈 The big idea
You need Little Wins, Matt!, exclaimed John, knocking over his water glass
Little Wins are small daily steps that add up to big results over time
Break your big 3-month goals into weekly and daily small goals so you can see yourself getting better each day
➡️ Identify one small task you can complete each day that moves you closer to your big goal
Just like in Atomic Habits where James Clear talks about 1% improvements, tiny daily actions consistently applied will transform your business over time
· · ·
🏄 Example
Zume Pizza was trying to compete with major pizza chains despite having limited resources
They implemented Little Wins by focusing on tiny daily improvements in delivery times
Each day, they tracked and tried to improve their average delivery time by just 30 seconds
These small daily improvements helped Zume reduce delivery times by 17 minutes over one year, becoming faster than any competitor and growing to a $2.25 billion valuation
· · ·
🎁 The breakthrough
Holy Cow! said Matt, leaning forward intently
I've been thinking about my goals in terms of months, which makes daily work feel disconnected
I'll break my subscriber goal into daily targets and celebrate each new signup as it happens
Core Solution: Break your big goal into tiny daily tasks you can check off
Chapter 12: 🔮 Evolving Goal-setting: Why your metrics might secretly be sabotaging your success
🔥 The challenge
Matt had implemented his OKR system but wondered how to keep it fresh over time
He was concerned his metrics might become outdated as his business evolved
Core Problem: Using outdated metrics as your business grows
· · ·
🌈 The big idea
You need Evolving Goal-setting, Matt!, John said, spinning around in his chair
Evolving Goal-setting means changing what you track as your business gets bigger and different
The numbers that matter when you first start are different from the ones that matter when your business grows
➡️ Every 3 months, review if you're still tracking the right numbers for your current stage
Just like in Toy Story where the toys had to adapt to different children and situations, your metrics need to evolve as your business grows and matures
· · ·
🏄 Example
Netflix started by measuring DVD shipments, then streaming hours, and now original content engagement
They implemented an evolving goal-setting system that completely refreshes metrics every few years
Their current key results focus on engagement with original content rather than just total viewing hours
This willingness to evolve their metrics has helped Netflix transform from a DVD-by-mail service to the world's leading streaming platform with over 200 million subscribers
· · ·
🎁 The breakthrough
Holy Smokes! exclaimed Matt, his face lighting up
I've been focusing only on audience growth metrics, but I'll need different metrics when I start scaling my products
I should plan to evolve my key metrics as I grow from side hustle to full-time business
Core Solution: Change what you measure as your business evolves
🏆 The parting
As they finished their last boba tea together, John told Matt this would be their final mentor session.
Lemme tell you something, Matt. You're gonna soar higher than Batman with these OKRs. Focus on what matters, measure it religiously, and watch your business transform!
John gave him an enthusiastic high-five and a superhero business card.
Matt left the shop feeling more confident than he had in months.
🎉 The happy ending
Six months later, Matt's email list had grown from 500 to 25,700 subscribers by focusing solely on high-converting YouTube content, generating $17,800 in revenue every month.
Instead of posting random videos, he now created strategic content that led viewers directly to his productivity course.
His digital product revenue had increased 5x, allowing him to cut back to part-time at his day job and travel to Japan for a month while still making money.
🧘♀️ The simple success recipe
The key lessons that transformed the business:
Choose 1-3 clear objectives with measurable results - Stop going after fuzzy goals and focus on exact, countable results that help you make more money
Focus on one platform before expanding - Get really good at one place (like YouTube) that fits how you teach before trying to be everywhere
Track conversion rates, not vanity metrics - Don't worry about follower counts and watch how many people are actually moving toward buying your products
Set weekly check-ins with yourself - What you check every week gets better, so make a simple Sunday morning number check
Find an accountability partner - Even when working alone, you need someone to talk to regularly about your goals and progress
✨ Loosely inspired by...
Matt D'Avella, a minimalism-focused YouTuber and filmmaker
His unique selling point is high-quality, cinematic videos about productivity and minimalism with a touch of humor
He's grown to over 3 million YouTube subscribers and sells successful courses on productivity and filmmaking
🥂 Your turn!
That's it, my fellow rebels!
Now you can use the OKR system in your own online products business by watching what really matters.
As John Doerr says, "Ideas are easy. Execution is everything." You'll do much better when you track what actually helps you grow.
Today, pick your ONE most important goal for the next 3 months and the 3-5 key results that will show you're getting better.
Your digital biz is about to transform from scattered hustle to strategic success!
May the Justice League of clear metrics guide your business to new heights!
Keep rocking 🚀 🍩
Yours 'making success painless and fun' vijay peduru 🦸♂️