This research-backed guide shows how modern metrics help developers thrive, by making work visible, not performative.
About the guide
When 87% of developers say metrics can help, but only 30% are using them at the team level, it’s time to rethink how we measure engineering success. This guide breaks down why most metrics fail and what healthy measurement looks like instead. Backed by data from 1,282 developers and over 15 hours of interviews, it shows how to bring clarity and reflection into your teams, without over-engineering or eroding trust.
What’s inside the Developer Thriving Framework — metrics edition
1. Metrics that reflect how devs actually work
See why developers support tracking when it helps them reflect, improve, and get recognition, especially across diverse teams.
2. The most common pitfalls with engineering metrics
Learn what breaks trust: measuring without context, tracking the wrong things, and using data to judge instead of support.
3. What makes metrics “healthy”and how to use them
Get examples of metrics that spark the right conversations: progress, reflection, and cross-team visibility.
4. Practical steps for engineering leaders and managers
Use our recommendations to choose meaningful metrics, involve your team, and use data to guide, not dictate, decisions.
What is the Developer Thriving Framework — metrics edition?
The Developer Thriving Framework identifies four drivers of sustainable engineering performance: motivation, agency, learning culture, and belonging. This edition shows how thoughtful measurement reinforces all four, especially when devs feel seen, trusted, and supported.
Healthy metrics don’t flatten people into dashboards. They fuel learning, focus, and stronger decision-making, without micromanagement or gaming.
Why Flow
Flow helps you build the feedback loops that thriving teams rely on.
Whether you’re removing blockers, supporting new hires, or just making sure good work doesn’t go unnoticed, Flow turns raw Git and ticket data into insight that’s actually useful.
With Flow, you can:
- Spot delivery bottlenecks without blaming individuals
- Reduce engineer ramp time by up to 4 months
- Highlight progress and effort in retros, 1:1s, and demos
- Identify where poor measurement is hurting morale
- Recognize work across functions—not just visible PRs
You get:
- Team-level insight into collaboration, effort, and velocity
- Visibility into patterns like churning scope or unreviewed PRs
- 1:1 coaching data to fight burnout, not just chase output
- A foundation to scale metrics without weaponizing them
Flow doesn’t just show you what’s happening, it helps you understand why.
Good metrics don’t just track velocity — they support your people
This guide gives you the tools to reframe measurement around trust, clarity, and team health, starting with the metrics you already have.
Download the Healthy metrics, thriving teams guide