The 3×5 principle is simple: set no more than 3 objectives, each with up to 5 key results. This constraint helps teams focus on what matters most instead of spreading effort across too many goals. When you limit your OKRs this way, you create clarity that drives real progress.
This guide explains where the 3×5 principle came from, why it works, and how to apply it to your team starting today.
What Is the 3×5 Principle?
The 3×5 principle is a guideline for structuring OKRs. It states that any team or individual should have:
- No more than 3 objectives (what you want to achieve)
- No more than 5 key results per objective (how you will measure success)
This means your maximum capacity is 15 key results per quarter. Most teams work best with even fewer.
The principle traces back to John Doerr, who brought OKRs to Google in 1999. He learned the framework from Andy Grove at Intel, where focus was essential to competing against larger companies. Google adopted tight constraints on OKR counts to keep teams aligned and prevent goal overload.
The 3×5 principle is not a rigid rule. It is a guideline based on how humans process information and how organizations execute effectively.
Why 3×5 Works
The 3×5 principle works because of how our brains handle information and how organizations get things done.
Cognitive Load Limits
Psychologist George Miller found that people can hold about 7 items (plus or minus 2) in working memory at once. This is known as Miller’s Law. When you have more than a few priorities, your brain struggles to keep them straight.
Three objectives sit comfortably within this limit. Your team can remember them, talk about them, and act on them without checking a document every time.
Constraints Drive Prioritization
When everything is a priority, nothing is. The 3×5 principle forces hard choices. You cannot include every good idea. You must decide what matters most right now.
This constraint is a feature, not a bug. Teams that limit their OKRs consistently outperform teams that try to do everything at once.
Organizational Alignment
Fewer objectives make alignment easier. When a company has 3 objectives and each team has 3 objectives, people can see how their work connects to the bigger picture. With 10 objectives at each level, that connection gets lost.
Breaking Down the Numbers
Why 3 Objectives?
Three is enough to cover your most important priorities without losing focus. Consider what happens with more:
- 1 objective: May be too narrow for a full quarter
- 2 objectives: Works well for focused teams
- 3 objectives: The sweet spot for most teams
- 4+ objectives: Focus starts to break down
If you struggle to narrow down to 3, you have not prioritized ruthlessly enough.
Why 5 Key Results Maximum?
Key results measure whether you achieved your objective. Five is the ceiling because:
- More than 5 signals your objective is too broad
- Tracking becomes difficult with too many metrics
- Teams lose sight of what success actually looks like
Most effective objectives have 3 to 4 key results. Five should feel like a stretch.
Total Capacity
With 3 objectives and up to 5 key results each, your maximum is 15 key results per quarter. In practice, strong OKR sets often have 9 to 12 key results total. This keeps the workload manageable while maintaining ambition.
3×5 in Practice: Examples
Example 1: Marketing Team
Objective: Establish our brand as the go-to resource for operations leaders
- KR1: Increase organic blog traffic from 10,000 to 25,000 monthly visitors
- KR2: Grow email subscriber list from 2,000 to 5,000
- KR3: Publish 12 in-depth guides (one per week)
- KR4: Achieve 50 backlinks from industry publications
This objective has 4 key results. Each one is measurable and contributes to the goal. The team did not pad it to 5 just to hit a number.
Example 2: Product Team
Objective: Deliver a product experience that customers love
- KR1: Increase NPS score from 32 to 50
- KR2: Reduce average support ticket volume by 30%
- KR3: Achieve 4.5+ star rating in app store (currently 3.8)
This objective has only 3 key results. That is perfectly fine. The team resisted adding metrics that would distract from the core goal.
Example 3: Executive Team (Company-Level)
Objective 1: Achieve product-market fit in the mid-market segment
- KR1: Close 15 new mid-market accounts (up from 3)
- KR2: Reach $500K ARR from mid-market customers
- KR3: Achieve 90% retention rate in mid-market cohort
Objective 2: Build a world-class sales organization
- KR1: Hire and onboard 4 account executives
- KR2: Reduce average sales cycle from 45 to 30 days
- KR3: Increase quota attainment from 60% to 85%
Objective 3: Strengthen financial foundation for growth
- KR1: Extend runway from 12 to 18 months
- KR2: Reduce customer acquisition cost by 25%
- KR3: Achieve break-even on unit economics
This company has exactly 3 objectives with 3 key results each. Nine key results total. Clean, focused, and achievable.
How to Apply 3×5 (Step-by-Step)
Step 1: Start with Your Top 3 Priorities
Ask: “If we could only accomplish three things this quarter, what would they be?” Write down everything that feels important, then force-rank the list. Your top 3 become your objectives.
Step 2: Define 3 to 5 Measurable Outcomes for Each
For each objective, ask: “How will we know we succeeded?” Identify specific metrics with current baselines and target numbers. Resist the urge to add more than 5.
Step 3: Pressure-Test Your OKRs
Run these checks:
- If we hit all key results, will we have achieved the objective?
- Are these outcomes (not tasks or activities)?
- Is each key result actually measurable?
- Can we realistically make progress on all of these this quarter?
Step 4: Review with Your Team
Share your draft OKRs and gather feedback. Make sure you ask the right questions. Are company priorities being met? Are you missing anything critical? Are you being too ambitious or not ambitious enough?
Refine based on input, then commit.
When to Flex the Rule
The 3×5 principle is a guideline, not a law. Here is when flexibility makes sense:
Fewer Than 3 Objectives
Some teams work best with just one or two objectives. This is common for small teams with a narrow focus, teams in execution mode on a single initiative, and individuals who need deep concentration.
Fewer objectives is almost always fine.
More Than 3 Objectives
Occasionally, four objectives makes sense. This might apply to executive teams balancing multiple business units, transition periods with competing priorities, or large departments with distinct sub-teams.
If you regularly need 5+ objectives, consider whether you are trying to do too much or whether your objectives are too narrow.
Company vs. Team vs. Individual
The 3×5 principle applies at each level, but the strictness may vary:
- Company level: 3 objectives is almost always right
- Team level: 2 to 3 objectives works well
- Individual level: 1 to 3 objectives depending on role
Do not simply copy company OKRs down to teams. Each level should have its own OKRs that support the level above.
3×5 vs. Other OKR Structures
You may have heard different recommendations for OKR counts. Here is how 3×5 compares:
| Structure | Objectives | Key Results | Total KRs |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3×5 | Up to 3 | Up to 5 each | Up to 15 |
| 3-5 / 3-5 | 3 to 5 | 3 to 5 each | 9 to 25 |
| 5×3 | Up to 5 | Up to 3 each | Up to 15 |
The 3×5 principle is more constraining on objectives than the common “3 to 5 objectives” advice. This tighter limit on objectives forces greater focus while still allowing enough key results to measure progress.
For most teams, 3×5 provides the right balance. If you find it too restrictive, the 3-5 / 3-5 structure offers more flexibility.
Put 3×5 to Work
The 3×5 principle gives you a simple rule that drives focus: no more than 3 objectives, no more than 5 key results each. This constraint is not limiting. It is liberating. When you know exactly what matters most, execution becomes clearer.
Start by reviewing your current OKRs. Do they fit within 3×5? If not, what would you cut? The goals you remove might be just as important as the ones you keep.
You don’t need to navigate OKRs on your own. ScaleUpExec has helped dozens of businesses implement OKRs and solve tough operational problems. Ready to explore what’s possible? Reach out today.
