About this episode

This episode discusses why velocity is a misleading metric for leadership in Agile and what leaders should focus on instead.

Velocity can help a team plan, but it creates problems when leaders use it to judge performance. In this episode, Brian Milner and Scott Dunn explain why that shift happens so often and what leaders should pay attention to instead. Overview Velocity is one of the most misunderstood metrics in Agile. Used well, it helps a team forecast and make planning decisions. Used poorly, it becomes a productivity score that encourages inflated estimates, unhealthy comparisons, and a focus on output rather than value. In this episode, Brian and Scott discuss why leaders often reach for velocity, why it gives them the wrong signal, and how teams can reconnect measurement to outcomes, learning, and business impact. They also explore how AI is making this issue more urgent by increasing delivery speed while putting even more pressure on leaders to ask whether teams are building the right things. References and resources mentioned in the show: Scott Dunn#35: Metrics with Lance DacyRethink the Refinement Session: Less Time, Better Outcomes by Mike CohnThe Cost of Change Curve Is Outdated by Mike CohnSubscribe to the Agile Mentors Podcast Want to get involved? This show is designed for you, and…

Topics covered

• Agile metrics
• velocity
• leadership
• team performance
• AI in Agile
• productivity

More episodes of Agile Mentors Podcast from Mountain Goat Software

• #187: A Quick Summer Update and a Look at What's Ahead with Brian Milner · June 23, 2026 · 8 min
• #186: Why Teams Stop Caring About Retrospectives with Cort Sharp · May 27, 2026 · 33 min
• #185: The Real ROI of Agile with Scott Dunn · May 27, 2026 · 42 min
• #184: Scrum in High-Stakes Environments with John Holmes · May 27, 2026 · 32 min
• #183: How AI Is Reshaping Product Ownership with Lance Dacy · May 27, 2026 · 33 min
• #182: Never Stop Experimenting with Stavros Stavru · May 19, 2026 · 27 min

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