OKRs & Key Results 3 min read

Metric types explained

When you create a Key Result, you choose a metric type that determines how progress is measured and displayed.

Number

A plain numeric value. Use for counts, quantities, or any whole or decimal number.

Example: "Reach 1,000 paying customers" — Start: 300, Target: 1,000.

Progress expressed as a percentage. Use for rates, ratios, or targets naturally expressed as a percentage.

Example: "Achieve 90% customer retention rate" — Start: 82%, Target: 90%.

A monetary value in your chosen currency. Use for revenue, budget, or spend targets.

Example: "Grow monthly recurring revenue to $166k" — Start: $80k, Target: $166k.

A binary achieved / not achieved outcome. Use when the result is a specific deliverable rather than a number.

Example: "Launch the mobile app" — either done or not done.

For number, percentage, and currency types, you can set the progress direction:

Higher is better — revenue, customers, NPS. Progress increases toward the target.
Lower is better — churn rate, bug count, support tickets. Progress improves as the value decreases.

Set direction carefully

If you set a churn rate KR to "higher is better" by mistake, a rising churn rate will show as on track. Always check the direction when creating KRs.