Jon Katz

Startups don’t need more meetings—they need better decisions. If you’re struggling with how to make decisions that are fast and effective, use a simple framework: Context, Options, Decide, Execute (CODE). It brings clarity, avoids knee-jerk solutions, and keeps things moving.

OKRs help you decide what you want to achieve. EOS helps make sure people follow through. But neither tells you how to actually get there. That’s why we built Circle Forward, a system that combines Alignment, Accountability, and Acceleration to help startups move fast, stay focused, and execute with confidence.

Most startups don’t struggle because of a lack of ambition. They struggle because of how they set and pursue their goals. In this post, I break down the five most common mistakes I see startups make when it comes to setting and achieving objectives, from misaligned quarterly priorities to treating goals like checklists instead of learning journeys. If you want to improve execution and actually hit the targets you set, start here.