The Kalt Method

Kalt
3 min readJan 28, 2024

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At Kalt, we believe in the power of individual autonomy aligned with collective goals. Every team member has the freedom to make decisions independently throughout the week. These decisions, however, must resonate with our overarching company objectives, ensuring a unified direction towards our shared vision.

While autonomy is encouraged, decisions are expected to stand up to scrutiny. They should be grounded in first principles and align with Kalt’s long-term strategy, which is laid out in our objectives and goals, that align with our ten-year roadmap.

Vision, mission, goals, objectives, and key results

At first glance, the vision, mission, goal, objective, key result structure seems unnecessary huge and cumbersome. But the top three levels of the pyramid are not defined on a yearly or quarterly basis, they are defined on by the millenia.

Vision

The vision statement is what we cannot reach without collaboration with other firms, government and society at large. It is our vision for an improved and sustainable future.

Mission

The mission statement is our part in reaching that vision, the reason why the firm exists.

Goals

The goals are things we have to continually work towards to reach the long term mission. They are not changed over time and are aspirational but possible to reach. They serve as a guiding principle for every activity that we do. Whether that is product marketing or product development.

Objectives

Objectives are a type of milestone on the journey towards one or more of our goals. While the amount of objectives can grow with the number of teams and business units, some can also cut across units and teams. They should be quantifiable and challenging but possible to reach. Currently ours is a 6 month long one.

Practically speaking the objectives are simply projects in Linear, where all tasks have to be assigned to a single objective. Currently we only have one: launch in Scandinavia ️️⚡️

Key results

Key results are another type of milestone on the journey towards one of our objectives. The ratio of KR to O should not exceed 3:1, and they have to be quantifiable and challenging but possible to reach.

Practically speaking these are labels in Linear. Currently we only have three: build the founding team, feature-complete website, and fundraising.

Interested in learning more about Kalt? Read about our vision ↗

Practically speaking

Tasks and project management

By using Kanbans in two week cycles (outlined below) we are able to focus on the most pressing issues the next 14 days. This lean and visual workflow allows us to maximize efficiency. By using Kanban, we ensure that our team can quickly adapt to changing priorities and respond to challenges in real-time, maintaining a steady flow of work, without a decade long backlog.

The two week cycle and the weekly pulse

Our rhythm is set by a two-week cycle, starting with a Monday commitments meeting for task prioritization, and culminating in a Sunday wins session to celebrate our achievements. This cycle keeps our team synchronized and focused on what matters most. During every other Monday commitments meeting we assess the likelihood of achieving our key results. If the likelihood reaches beneath 65%, all hands on deck.

During the Sunday wins meeting we take a moment to acknowledge our successes, fostering a culture of recognition and positivity. This meeting and the Monday commitments are the only two meetings throughout the week. Instead of standups its a simple what is up Slack message, and no status meetings, it should be clear for everyone whats going on at all times.

The decade roadmap

Our journey is guided by a dynamic, rotating ten-year roadmap. This roadmap serves as a living strategy document, encapsulating our long-term vision and ensuring all efforts are contributing towards these goals.

In practice its just a Miro board with some long blocks.

Summary

By pragmatically blending methodologies we are able to stay agile whilst remaining steadfastly focused on our long-term objectives. It’s a balance of quick adaptability and unwavering strategic focus, forcing us to continuously exceed our ambitious targets.

We are looking for co-founders, check our jobs page ↗

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