Stop Chasing OKRs: Solve the Real Business Puzzle

Get featured on the show by leaving us a Voice Mail: https://bit.ly/MIPVM  This episode challenges goal-driven thinking in an AI-enabled world through a conversation with Radhika Dutt. The discussion explores why OKRs and vanity metrics often fail, especially when AI accelerates optimisation without understanding. The core insight is a shift from goal setting to puzzle setting. By framing problems clearly, staying in the discomfort, and learning through small experiments, teams can build products that create long-term value. Practical examples show how this mindset helped recover stalled growth, improve trust, and reduce churn while keeping humans central to AI-driven decisions. 👉 Full Show Notes https://www.microsoftinnovationpodcast.com/799   🎙️ What you’ll learn  Why AI makes weak metrics and OKRs more dangerous, not more effective How to shift from goal setting to puzzle setting in product and AI work A practical framework for defining problems before jumping to solutions How to measure learning and narrative, not just numbers How puzzle solving supports sustainable innovation and growth ✅ Highlights “We measured success by the logos of companies on our website.” “Are we all just doomed to learn from trial and error?” “Everything that we humans can do in terms of optimizing numbers, AI can do it even better.” “What is the puzzle is the question we should have been asking.” “The more intimacy was gamified, the more it created a toxic dating environment.” “You kind of need to stay with the discomfort.” “Don’t just spit out numbers at me.” “They hated magic and they did not trust technology.” “This approach was more like putting your ears on the tracks.” “It is the biggest illusion that OKRs work.” 🧰 Mentioned Radical Product Thinking https://www.radicalproduct.com/  OKRs (Objectives and Key Results) https://www.atlassian.com/agile/agile-at-scale/okrPuzzle setting and puzzle solving framework https://www.radicalproduct.com/toolkit/ Design thinking https://www.interaction-design.org/literature/topics/design-thinking  Toyota 5 Whys https://www.learnleansigma.com/guides/5-whys/  ✅Keywords artificial intelligence, ai innovation, okrs, product thinking, puzzle setting, metrics, innovation culture, design thinking, product strategy, ai metrics, business transformation, experimentation If you want to get in touch with me, you can message me here on Linkedin.Thanks for listening 🚀 - Mark Smith