Top Three, Bottom Three Feedback
Repeat three strengths and repair three weaknesses each quarter
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Time to result
- ~weeks to results
- Steps
- 5
- Confidence
- 98%
Top Three, Bottom Three compresses feedback into two actionable lists: three things the recipient is doing well and should continue, and three things to improve. Kagan runs it quarterly and notes that even a Top One, Bottom One version is useful when six items feel too heavy. For weaknesses, he asks for a concrete example and a proposed solution so criticism becomes operational rather than abstract. Printing or otherwise keeping the list visible helps maintain attention between reviews. The framework balances reinforcement with correction and prevents an eighteen-page feedback document from becoming an unusable backlog. It can be applied in a company, a department, or a personal relationship when the participants trust and respect one another.
Origin
Kagan says Andrew Chen brought him the practice from Travis at Uber, and Kagan uses it quarterly at AppSumo.
Core principles
- 01Keep feedback short enough to act on
- 02Preserve strengths as deliberately as correcting weaknesses
- 03Ask for examples and proposed solutions
- 04Repeat the process on a calendar
How to run it
- 1
Select the reviewers
Ask people who work closely with you and whose judgment you trust.
Pro tip Use the same cadence across a team where appropriate.
Watch out Feedback from people without direct observation may be generic.
- 2
Collect the top three
Ask which three behaviors or contributions they most want you to continue.
Pro tip Preserve these strengths explicitly.
Watch out Do not treat positive feedback as filler.
- 3
Collect the bottom three
Ask which three things would most improve your effectiveness.
Pro tip Reduce to one item if three would prevent action.
Watch out Avoid an unbounded catalogue of complaints.
- 4
Demand specificity
Request an example of the behavior and a solution that would look better.
Pro tip Translate labels such as micromanagement into observable moments.
Watch out Abstract criticism is hard to change.
- 5
Keep it visible and repeat
Display the list, act on it, and trigger the next review quarterly.
Pro tip Automate the reminder in your calendar.
In the wild
AppSumo's team told Kagan that they wanted more autonomy. A coach then challenged whether reviewing and messaging people about ten-dollar card charges demonstrated trust in the finance leader. Kagan stopped reviewing the transactions himself.
→ A broad criticism became a specific behavior change.
Common mistakes
Producing an exhaustive report
Too many items make prioritization and follow-through less likely.
Accepting labels without examples
A label such as micromanager needs a specific moment and a better alternative.
Is it for you?
Best for
Leaders, teammates, and partners who need a lightweight recurring feedback loop.
Not ideal for
Formal investigations or performance issues requiring detailed evidence and HR procedures.
From the transcript
“What are the top three things you love that I'm doing, so I know I can continue it and what are the bottom three things…”
“I just have my calendar, ask the team T3, B3 every quarter.”
“The team gave me feedback that they want more autonomy, that I'm too much up in their ass.”
From the episode
#717: Noah Kagan — How to Launch a Million-Dollar Business This Weekend
Noah Kagan