OKR Post Mortem

Here are the OKRs that I set for this project and my reflections on each one.

Objective 1: I want to become a better writer.

KR1: Did I publish 1 blog everyday? GRADE: 10/10
I’ve published 130 blog posts at the time I’m writing this piece. My daily blog has been the pillar of my gap semester and I won’t be stopping anytime soon.

KR2: Did I write 8 essays by the end of the term? GRADE: 6/10
I wrote 6 essays including this one. This term I learned the effort and difficulty of writing long form essays. However, with more focus and discipline this key result would’ve been achievable.

Objective 2: I want to focus on learning what matters.

KR1: Did I read 30 books by the end of the term? GRADE: 7/10
In total, I read 21 books. A substantial amount of my reading time was spent on mediums that weren’t books like essays, papers, blogs, short stories, etc. I found that these mediums were just as fruitful as books. But like the previous key result, I think the problem was more so a lack of discipline rather than reading other mediums.

KR2: Complete Learning Project 1: Learning the craft of writing GRADE: 9/10
My writing significantly improved after completing this learning project.

KR3: Complete Learning Project 2: Marketing and Growth GRADE: 2/10
I chose growth and marketing as my second learning project to help out with my newsletter growth. But I eventually dropped it because my time was better spent executing and experimenting.

Objective 3: I want to share my work with others.

KR1: 100,000+ Page views by the end of the term GRADE: 2/10
Final pageview count: 25,300. I abandoned this OKR early on as I realized page views was a vanity metric. I wasn’t optimizing for views or SEO and I wanted to write whatever I felt like.

KR2: 100 Email subscribers by the end of the term GRADE: 7/10
Final subscriber count 71/100. I learned that engaging and taking care of current subscribers is infinitely more valuable and enjoyable than constantly pushing for growth.

May 14, 2020 · Reflecting on a Semester at the Library


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