What is Velocity?
Velocity is the average amount of work, usually measured in story points, that a team completes per sprint. By tracking velocity over several sprints, teams establish a realistic baseline for how much they can commit to going forward.
Velocity is a planning and forecasting tool, not a productivity score. It is specific to a single team and its estimation scale, so comparing velocity across teams is meaningless and often counterproductive. Pressuring a team to "increase velocity" tends to inflate estimates rather than deliver more value.
PMs use velocity to set credible expectations: if a team averages 30 points per sprint and the remaining epic is 120 points, that's roughly four sprints of work. Used honestly, it makes roadmaps and stakeholder commitments far more trustworthy.
Examples
- A team that completed 28, 32, and 30 points in its last three sprints plans for ~30 next sprint.
- A PM forecasts a feature launch four sprints out based on the epic's point total and team velocity.
Where PMs use this
Related terms
Story Points
A relative unit for estimating the effort, complexity, and uncertainty of a user story.
Sprint
A fixed, short period (typically 1–2 weeks) during which a Scrum team completes a set of committed work.
Sprint Planning
The meeting where a team selects and commits to the work it will complete in the upcoming sprint.