From the very beginning of our company, it was very clear why we exist, who we are, and what we do, with the latter two being subjects of constant iteration. However, predicting our exact path forward was always elusive. In the past five years alone, so much has transformed that any prediction would've been impossible.

Yet, even with this uncertainty, it's vital for us to set goals. We're acutely aware of the need to continuously iterate on them, or even completely redefine them.

This is what our strategic framework looks like:

Purpose

To constantly find better ways for the world to work.

Our 3-year vision

This is an attempt to set some goals when it comes to:

1. Financials
2. Business
3. People

We keep this very simple, as it is only two slides, serving as an attempt to provide some clarity on where we would like to be in three years.

NCTs

NCTs stand for Narratives, Commitments, and Tasks and are our current goal-setting framework. We decided to switch to NCTs after using OKRs (Objectives & Key Results) for 3 years.

While NCTs have strong parallels with OKRs, there are distinguishing features that we feel meet our needs better. Here’s a breakdown:

• Narratives mirror Objectives but take a more narrative form. Think of them as a storytelling approach to defining ambition. Unlike Objectives that might change every quarter, Narratives are set annually—unless there's a compelling reason for a change.
• Commitments resemble Key Results (KRs), but they're more anchored in reality. While KRs aim to stretch, Commitments are down-to-earth and designed to be fully achieved. These are refreshed quarterly in line with the respective Narrative.
• Tasks represent specific projects or initiatives required to meet each Commitment.

✎ One key distinction from OKRs: we don’t cascade NCTs down to individual teams. Narratives are outlined at the company level. Commitments, though, can be team-centric, and Tasks always have a designated owner (which is not necessarily a management team member).

Defining, Monitoring, and Communicating Our NCTs

1. At the beginning of the year:

We define our NCTs during our Management Annual Kick-off Meeting.

2. Every quarter:

We create new Commitments and Tasks (Narratives remain the same throughout the year unless there's a specific need to change them).

3. Every month:

We share the progress of our NCTs during our Company All-Hands meeting.

4. Every two weeks:

We discuss the progress of our NCTs in our Management Meeting.

5. Always on:

NCTs are housed on a Notion page, publicly shared with the company. Everyone can view their description, owner, progress, and notes.