Dancing, Mechanics & Rebooting OKR: The COO who helped scale booking technology in the automotive space

Lucus West, COO at AutoGuru, takes us under the hood of how a disruptive Aussie startup reshaped its approach to goals, strategy, and getting everyone pulling in the same direction. From early OKR chaos and bloated to-do lists to a metrics-driven, tightly aligned rhythm that actually fires up the team—this episode is a practical blueprint for any business on the brink of outgrowing its goal-setting playbook.

We talk buy-now-pay-later in the auto industry, creative startup hacks, the robot vs monkey balance in leadership, and how Lucus went from professional dancer to COO of a tech company. Buckle up.

00:00 Introduction to Strategy Candy Podcast

02:07 Meet Lucas West, COO of Auto Guru

02:24 The Journey of Auto Guru

03:23 Challenges and Innovations in the Automotive Industry

07:53 Implementing OKRs at Auto Guru

09:10 Transforming OKRs for Better Results

17:58 The Role of OKR Champions

20:50 Future Improvements and Lessons Learned

24:24 Navigating the Two-Sided Marketplace

25:54 Personal Journey and Leadership Insights

26:25 Implementing Effective OKRs

27:23 Celebrating Success and Team Engagement

30:25 Lucas's Career Path to COO

36:02 The Importance of Outcomes Over Outputs

38:18 Continuous Learning and Team Development

42:18 Closing Thoughts and Takeaways

👤 Guest Bio:

Lucus West is the Chief Operating Officer at AutoGuru, a platform that connects drivers with car servicing workshops across Australia and New Zealand. Since joining in 2018, Lucus has helped scale the business from a retail marketplace to a SaaS fleet servicing platform with over 13,000 workshops. A former professional dancer turned operations leader, Lucus brings a unique blend of creative energy and executional discipline to everything he does. He’s passionate about building systems that empower teams and using OKRs to make strategy tangible for everyone—whether you’re in the C-suite or answering the phone.

OKR Quickstart Guide & Resources HERE

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🎧 Listen now and learn how to stop tracking outputs and start delivering real outcomes.