A Smart Bear · Jason Cohen
articleprinciple"You didn't do it right"
11 October 2026Profit
Source excerpt
About A Smart BearFour sincere attempts at OKRs, four failures, and every time: "you didn't do it right." Maybe the framework doesn't fit you -- so how do you find one that does?
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Apollo layer
What a founder can learn
Founder takeaway
Don’t assume repeated failure means your team is implementing a management framework incorrectly. Treat frameworks like tools: define what you need them to improve, test them within clear boundaries, and replace them when they consistently fail to fit your organization.
Why it matters
Persisting with a poor-fit framework can consume leadership attention, frustrate the team, and turn process compliance into a substitute for better execution.
Relevant guides
Put it to work
Choose one outcome your current framework should improve—such as priority clarity or accountability—and ask: “What evidence would show this is working within the next quarter, and what alternative will we test if it isn’t?”