A goal is an outcome the chairman wants the team to drive toward — "$10K MRR by end of Q3," "launch the iOS app," "get 100 beta signups." Goals shape what Astra prioritizes day to day; tasks are the work she dispatches to move them forward.
What makes a good goal
- A clear outcome, not an activity ("hit 1,000 signups," not "do marketing")
- A timeframe — a date or a quarter
- Owned by a project, so the team knows what it's in service of
What Astra does with a goal
- Brings it up in the morning brief: "we're 40% to the signup target, here's what I'd do today"
- Uses it to decide which tasks are worth running and which can wait
- Flags when a goal is at risk — runway, ship date, growth target — so the chairman sees it early
Goals vs. tasks
A goal is the destination. A task is one step toward it. The same goal can drive dozens of tasks over weeks. When the goal is hit, Astra closes it and asks what's next.
Soft goals are fine too
Not every goal needs a number. "Build trust with our top 10 customers" is a real goal — Astra interprets it qualitatively when prioritizing.
For the difference between the two, see the goal-vs-task reference.