Estonian Startup OKRs Tool Aims to Simplify Goal-Setting for Fast-Growing Teams

TALLINN – Estonia’s reputation for punching above its weight in tech is set to continue with OKRs Tool, a Tallinn-based startup tackling the fast-growing market for goal-setting software. The platform, launched in 2025, is designed to give startups a simpler, leaner way to set and track OKRs (Objectives and Key Results) without the complexity or cost of traditional enterprise solutions.

Founder Steven Macdonald says the idea grew out of his own experience running OKRs inside Basecamp for three years. At first, the system worked well enough for a small team. But as headcount grew, updates went stale, progress became hard to track, and alignment started to slip.

“It wasn’t a lack of effort,” Macdonald explained. “It was that we didn’t have a system built for how startups actually work. We were constantly asking ourselves mid-quarter, ‘What are we really aiming for?’ That frustration was the spark that eventually became OKRs Tool.”

As he began exploring alternatives, Macdonald found the options uninspiring. “Spreadsheets get messy once you’re beyond five or six people,” he told us. “But on the other end of the spectrum, the software built for corporates just doesn’t fit the speed and constraints of a startup. 

We wanted to create something built by startup people, for startup teams.”

Filling a Gap in a Crowded Market

OKRs as a framework are not new - Google and Intel have long credited them with helping scale their businesses - but Macdonald believes timing and execution matter. Startups are increasingly adopting the approach earlier, often at team sizes of fewer than ten employees. Yet the tools available haven’t caught up with that reality.

Where larger competitors emphasize sprawling dashboards and integrations, OKRs Tool focuses on getting teams aligned quickly. The platform offers fast setup, visual progress tracking, and team-based pricing designed to be affordable for small companies. It also integrates directly with Slack, meeting founders where their teams already work.

“Startups don’t need another tool that slows them down,” Macdonald said. “They need something that’s almost invisible - there when you need it, and out of the way when you don’t.”

Why Estonia Matters

Macdonald moved to Estonia from the UK in 2004 and has called it home ever since. After running a marketing agency for 12 years, he is now fully focused on building OKRs Tool. For him, Estonia offers more than just a business-friendly environment - it’s a natural fit for the kind of lean, globally minded product he’s developing.

“Estonia understands what it means to do more with less,” he explained. “It’s a place where founders aren’t afraid to build global companies from day one. That spirit fits perfectly with what we’re trying to do with OKRs Tool.”

What’s Next

Looking ahead, the roadmap includes a template library to make adoption easier and hierarchical OKRs that connect company-wide goals with individual team objectives. Both features, Macdonald says, address a common pain point for young companies: translating big ambitions into everyday action.

Ultimately, his vision for OKRs Tool isn’t to outspend or outbuild enterprise players, but to serve the fast-growing startup segment with a product that reflects their pace and priorities.

“Our goal isn’t to be the biggest OKR platform on the market,” Macdonald said. “It’s to be the most useful for startups. If we can help founders cut through the chaos and focus on what actually matters, we’ve succeeded.”