Productivity metrics are facing backlash, are we measuring the wrong things?

General
1

I’ve been noticing more engineering leaders questioning the dashboards and “productivity metrics” we’ve relied on for years. Lines of code, PR counts, velocity points… they feel more like vanity metrics than actual signals of impact.

At EvolveDev, we’ve been exploring a different approach: tracking meaningful delivery patterns and blockers without turning engineers into number-chasers. It’s about clarity over comparison, insight over ego.

What the community thinks:

  • Are your teams frustrated with traditional metrics?

  • How do you know if you’re measuring what really matters?

  • Any suggestions for moving past the vanity metric trap?

Would love to hear thoughts, critiques, or even war stories.

2

Totally with you, Karthik. Most of the metrics we chase feel like checking boxes rather than actually helping the team deliver. At my place, we started looking at flow, blockers, and outcomes instead of PR counts, it’s a small shift but makes a huge difference in focus and morale.