Let me ask you a quick question:
What separates a startup that scales from one that stalls?
It’s not just funding. Not product. Not even timing.
It’s how clearly and powerfully the founders set their business goals.
In my experience covering some of India’s most dynamic founders—from unicorn CEOs to bootstrap warriors—there’s one thing they all have in common: they don’t just set goals... they set the right goals.
And today, I’m pulling back the curtain to show you exactly how they do it—and how you can, too.
If you’re a young founder, entrepreneur, or CEO, you already know this: there’s no shortage of to-dos, fires to fight, or visions to chase.
But without a clear system to set, track, and revisit your goals, even the most passionate ideas fall flat.
Top founders in India—from the likes of Nithin Kamath (Zerodha) to Ghazal Alagh (Mamaearth)—aren’t just visionaries. They’re strategic goal-setters.
Here’s why their approach works:
Goals bring clarity in chaos.
They align the team and investors with one north star.
They help track real progress, not vanity metrics.
Let me break this down into a step-by-step framework, backed by real-world practices of India’s most successful startup leaders.
Before metrics, milestones, or models, ask yourself:
“Why does this business exist?”
Take Byju Raveendran, for example. His vision wasn't to build a billion-dollar company—it was to democratize education. That “why” shaped every decision that followed.
Tip: Write down your mission in one sentence. If your team can't repeat it without a slide deck, it’s not clear enough.
We’ve all heard of SMART goals—Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound.
But top Indian founders go one step further. They add:
E for Evaluated regularly
R for Revisited and Realigned
Example:
Gaurav Munjal (Unacademy) sets quarterly goals but revisits them every two weeks to course-correct based on user feedback.
A 5-year vision is inspiring, but day-to-day execution can feel overwhelming.
Founders like Harsh Jain (Dream11) break major KPIs into smaller, motivating sprints.
Vision: Reach 1 million users
Quarter Goal: Add 250k new users
Weekly Milestone: Run 3 user acquisition campaigns with a 2% conversion target
Micro wins = Macro motivation.
Want a tool used by Google, but adapted by Indian startups? Enter OKRs.
They help you focus on what really matters.
Let me show you how it works:
Objective: Become the most trusted D2C skincare brand in India
Key Results:
Increase returning customer rate by 25%
Achieve 4.8/5 customer satisfaction rating
Launch 3 new SKUs with >1k pre-orders each
Startups like boAt and Mamaearth use OKRs to create accountability across fast-moving teams.
Transparency breeds ownership.
Many Indian founders now use tools like Notion, Asana, or ClickUp to make their goals—and progress—visible to every employee.
When goals are shared, execution accelerates.
“When everyone knows the goal, everyone runs in the same direction.” – Kunal Shah, Founder, CRED
Your boardroom goals should match your war-room goals.
Pro Tip:
When setting quarterly or yearly goals, ask:
“Will this directly support our growth metrics or investor OKRs?”
This practice helped Deepinder Goyal (Zomato) stay resilient through funding winters—because every goal was designed for long-term sustainability.
Setting business goals that work also means avoiding these traps:
Setting too many goals → Dilutes focus
Chasing vanity metrics → Looks good, but doesn’t grow revenue
Not involving the team → Leads to misalignment
Ignoring feedback → Great goals evolve, not stagnate
Let me share the story of Peyush Bansal (Lenskart).
In the early days, Lenskart was hemorrhaging cash. Growth had stalled.
Instead of panic, Peyush called his team and did something radical:
He rewrote every team goal based on customer happiness—not revenue.
What followed?
A 6-month sprint focused on:
24-hour delivery
Better lens packaging
A 5-minute return process
Result? Lenskart not only survived—they scaled 10x within the next two years.
That’s the power of real goal-setting.
Imagine this:
You walk into a meeting, and every team member knows exactly what to do, why it matters, and how it drives the company forward.
That’s not a dream—it’s what happens when you set the right goals.
So here’s the secret:
Start small, stay clear, and review often.
You don’t need to be a unicorn to use goal-setting like one.
You just need the mindset—and now, the method.
Write down your core business goal for this quarter.
Break it into 3 measurable outcomes.
Share it with your team today.
Need more guidance? Check out our related reads:
How OKRs Can Help Your Startup Scale Faster
Top 5 Mistakes Startup Founders Make in Their First Year
From Vision to Execution: Building a Startup Culture That Wins
Remember: You’re not alone in this. Every successful founder once stood where you are now—with a dream, a notepad, and a vision.
Let’s build something powerful.
