Vitamins, Not Medicine

Christina Wodtke drops a truth bomb about OKRs that applies directly to parenting: they're vitamins, not medicine. "If you take OKRs and you're like, 'Oh, this will fix everything that's wrong with you.' No, that's not going to happen. It's just going to reveal everything that's wrong with your company."

Same with parenting techniques. That new sleep training method you read about? It won't work if the real issue is that your toddler is terrified of the dark, or overtired from skipping naps, or you and your partner aren't on the same page about enforcement.

Good systems amplify what's already working. They don't fix fundamental dysfunction. If your family has psychological safety, clear expectations, and everyone's generally on the same team - a new routine can supercharge things. But if the foundation is cracked, the fancy method just exposes the cracks faster.

Fix the real problem first. Then add the vitamins.