> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.productbrain.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Goals

> What's in it for the business? Goals are the outcomes that lead to sustained profit.

Goals sit at the top of the tree. Every need, approach, and job traces back to a goal.

## What makes a good goal?

A goal is a **business outcome**, something that leads to sustained profit, retention, or market position. It's not a milestone, a feature, or an activity.

**Good goals:**

* "Users pay, stay, and grow their accounts"
* "AI augments the founder's thinking"
* "The business runs without the founder"

**Bad goals:**

* "Launch the product", that's a milestone
* "Build infrastructure", that's an activity
* "Add billing page". That's a feature (it belongs lower in the tree)

A goal that could be marked done after a single event was scoped wrong. Goals persist until the business changes direction.

## Goal status

Goals carry a lifecycle status that controls visibility:

| Status    | Meaning                                            |
| --------- | -------------------------------------------------- |
| **Focus** | Actively working toward this outcome (default)     |
| **Later** | Parked, not a current priority, but still relevant |
| **Done**  | Achieved, kept for reference                       |

Later and Done goals are dimmed in the Planning Tree. This is how you manage scope without deleting strategic context.

## How many goals?

Most projects have 2–6 goals. If you have more than 6, some are probably needs disguised as goals. Ask: "Is this a business outcome, or is it something that must be true for a business outcome to succeed?" If it's the latter, it's a need.