The Stack Overflow Podcast Moving beyond velocity: Measuring real business impact
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May 8, 2025 Dan Lines, Cofounder and COO of LinearB, and Ben Matthews, Senior Director of Engineering at Stack Overflow, delve into redefining engineering success. They argue that velocity should be a diagnostic tool rather than the end goal. Discover the necessity of aligning engineering with business outcomes and the role of AI in freeing engineers from repetitive tasks. They also discuss the integration of non-technical staff in tech processes and the significance of centralized teams in boosting productivity as organizations scale.
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Define Real Business Impact First
- Understand what real business impact means for your organization before measuring productivity.
- Avoid using velocity as the primary success metric; focus on business goals like quality, cost, and delivery speed instead.
Velocity Is a Diagnostic Tool
- Velocity is a useful introspective tool, not an end goal.
- Engineering teams should align KPIs with business impact, including quality and delivery speed, not just story points.
Balance Communication and Agility
- Scale requires balancing communication across teams without adding excessive process or red tape.
- Maintain agility by avoiding overburdening teams with bureaucracy as the organization grows.