•2 min read

5 Sprint Metrics Every Tech Lead Needs (And How to Get Them from ZenHub)

The core engineering management metrics you should be tracking to improve team performance and delivery speed.

By ZenStat Team

5 Sprint Metrics Every Tech Lead Needs

"If you can't measure it, you can't improve it." This Peter Drucker quote is the mantra of successful Tech Leads.

But in the noise of GitHub issues, labels, and pipelines, which metrics actually matter? If you are using ZenHub to manage your agile workflow, here are the five key metrics you should be tracking to move the needle on your team's performance.

1. Average Sprint Velocity

Velocity isn't for comparing Team A to Team B. It's for helping Team A understand their own capacity.

  • The ZenHub Way: Check the closed issues in your previous three sprints.
  • The Pro Tip: Look for the trend in velocity, not just the number. If it’s dipping, your team might be facing technical debt or scope creep.

2. Issue Completion Ratio

What percentage of the issues you committed to in the sprint actually made it to 'Closed'?

  • Why it matters: A team that consistently closes 100% of 20 points is more reliable than a team that commits to 50 points but only closes 25. Reliability is the foundation of trust with product stakeholders.

3. In-Progress to Total Ratio

At any given moment, how many issues are "In Progress" vs "To Do"?

  • The Trap: High "In Progress" counts usually indicate multitasking and context switching, which kills developer productivity.
  • The Target: Aim for a "Low WIP" (Work In Progress) limit.

4. Estimates vs. Reality

Are your 8-point issues actually taking 8 points of effort?

  • The Fix: Periodically review outliers—issues that were estimated low but stayed in the "Development" pipeline for twice as long as the average.

5. Deployment Frequency (or Pipeline Velocity)

How often is code moving from "In Progress" to "Review" to "Closed"?

  • The Goal: Small, frequent updates are lower risk than massive, bi-weekly merged PRs.

The Challenge: Gathering the Data

Gathering these metrics manually from ZenHub takes time that a Tech Lead doesn't have. You are paid to code and lead, not to be a data entry clerk.

This is exactly why we created ZenStat. We automate the collection of these metrics so you can spend your time fixing the bottlenecks, not finding them.

Analyze Your Team's Performance Now

Stop digging through GitHub tabs. Get the metrics you need to lead your team to a more productive sprint.

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