Glossary
What is Velocity?
The average amount of work a team completes per sprint, used to calibrate future sprint commitments.
Velocity is a measure of team throughput - typically the count of story points (or tasks, or hours) completed per sprint, averaged over the last 3-5 sprints. It's used for capacity planning: a team with a 30-point velocity shouldn't commit to a 50-point sprint. Velocity is NOT a productivity score and should never be used to compare teams; it varies by estimation style.
When to use
Use velocity to set realistic sprint commitments. Don't use it to pressure teams to 'go faster' - that just inflates estimates without changing actual output.
Related terms
Sprint
A fixed-length iteration (1-4 weeks) during which a team completes a planned chunk of work.
Burndown Chart
A line chart showing remaining work over a sprint, ideally trending to zero by the last day.
Story Points
A unit-less estimate of effort relative to other tasks, used instead of hours to estimate work.
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