# Goals

URL: /business/goals · Id: `system:goals`

> Goals records what each Thing is trying to achieve: its Goals, Key Results read from Metrics, and the Decisions behind them.

[Goals](/business/nouns/goal) records what each [Thing](/business/nouns/thing) is trying to achieve, with [Key Results](/business/nouns/key-result) read live from [Metrics](/business/nouns/metric). Every change in direction is a [Decision](/business/nouns/decision) on record, with the [Evidence](/business/nouns/evidence) behind it.

## Summary
| Part | This System |
| --- | --- |
| Group | Moves to Business |
| Status | Beta: it works, and its Verbs may still change |
| Shelf | Front: offered from a Startup’s first days |

You can ask:

- “Set a goal of 10 paying customers by June”
- “Are we on track for this quarter?”
- “Why did we decide to drop the free plan?”

## What you get
| Part | This System |
| --- | --- |
| Starts | On for every Startup at creation, with nothing to install. |
| Built from | [Database](/code/platform/capabilities/database), [Event streams](/code/platform/event-streams), [Workflows](/code/platform/workflows) |

## Nouns it owns
| Noun | Definition |
| --- | --- |
| [Goal](/business/nouns/goal) | A Goal is what a Thing is trying to achieve: an objective with one or more Key Results. |
| [Key Result](/business/nouns/key-result) | A Key Result is one measurable target inside a Goal: a Metric, a baseline, a target, and a deadline. |
| [Decision](/business/nouns/decision) | A Decision is the immutable record of a choice: its options, the choice, the reason, who decided, and the stakes. |

## Verbs
| Verb | Object | Approval | Event |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| [Goal.create](/business/nouns/goal/create) | [Goal](/business/nouns/goal) | None | `Goal.created` |
| [Goal.update](/business/nouns/goal/update) | [Goal](/business/nouns/goal) | None | `Goal.updated` |
| [KeyResult.create](/business/nouns/key-result/create) | [Key Result](/business/nouns/key-result) | None | `KeyResult.created` |
| [Decision.supersede](/business/nouns/decision/supersede) | [Decision](/business/nouns/decision) | None | [`Decision.superseded`](/business/events/Decision.superseded) |

## Events
| Direction | Event | How |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Emits | `Goal.created` | By [Goal.create](/business/nouns/goal/create) |
| Emits | `Goal.updated` | By [Goal.update](/business/nouns/goal/update) |
| Emits | `KeyResult.created` | By [KeyResult.create](/business/nouns/key-result/create) |
| Emits | [`Decision.superseded`](/business/events/Decision.superseded) | By [Decision.supersede](/business/nouns/decision/supersede) |

## States
The lifecycle of a [Decision](/business/nouns/decision):

| State | Meaning | Moves to |
| --- | --- | --- |
| `standing` (first) | It is the choice in force. | `superseded` by [Decision.supersede](/business/nouns/decision/supersede) |
| `superseded` | A newer Decision replaced it; both stay on record with the reason for the change. | None: it ends here. |

## Who operates it
| Part | This System |
| --- | --- |
| Accountable | [Strategist](/agents/founding/strategist) |
| Team | [Founding Team](/agents/founding) |
| Seat | A role agent holds it until a Human is seated. |
| Autonomy | `supervised` |
| Also calls its Verbs | [Founder](/agents/founding/founder) |

## Approvals and limits
None.

## Processes that use it
| Process | How it uses it |
| --- | --- |
| [Iteration](/workflows/processes/iteration) | A Workflow writes [Decision](/business/nouns/decision) |
| [Strategy](/workflows/processes/strategy) | A Workflow writes [Decision](/business/nouns/decision) |
| [Security](/workflows/processes/security) | A Workflow writes [Decision](/business/nouns/decision) |
| [Experimentation](/workflows/processes/experimentation) | A Workflow writes [Decision](/business/nouns/decision) |
| [Trust and safety](/workflows/processes/trust-and-safety) | A Workflow writes [Decision](/business/nouns/decision) |
| [Whistleblower reports](/workflows/processes/whistleblower-reports) | A Workflow writes [Decision](/business/nouns/decision) |
| [Risk assessment](/workflows/processes/risk-assessment) | A Workflow writes [Decision](/business/nouns/decision) |

## Rail underneath
None.

## Views and dashboards
| View | Shows | Metrics |
| --- | --- | --- |
| The [Strategist](/agents/founding/strategist)’s view | The Metrics its accountable Role answers for. | [Weeks flat](/agents/founding#weeks-flat), [Weekly verdicts](/agents/founding#weekly-verdicts) |

## Access
What each Access level may call here.

| Access level | May call |
| --- | --- |
| `owner` | Every Verb (14) |
| `admin` | Every Verb (14) |
| `member` | Every Verb (14) |
| `viewer` | Read only (6 of 14) |

## Import and export
None.

## Fees and pricing
None.

## Availability and limits
| Part | This System |
| --- | --- |
| Status | Beta: it works, and its Verbs may still change |

## Compliance notes
Controls it carries:

- [Log completeness](/systems/trust-and-governance/controls/log-completeness)
- [Append-only records](/systems/trust-and-governance/controls/append-only-records)
- [Point-in-time recovery](/systems/trust-and-governance/controls/point-in-time-recovery)
- [Processing definitions](/systems/trust-and-governance/controls/processing-definitions)
- [Action completion](/systems/trust-and-governance/controls/action-completion)

## Related Systems
None.

## Example
An [Agent as a Service](/products/templates/agent-as-a-service) that books freight sets one Goal for the quarter: 40 paying shippers. Its Key Result reads paid [Orders](/business/nouns/order), so nobody types progress in. When week six shows nine, the [Strategist](/agents/founding/strategist) [Agent](/business/nouns/agent) records a Decision to narrow the [ICP](/business/nouns/icp) to freight brokers, with the reason attached.