Answer guide
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No. Velocity is a team's own planning aid and depends on how that team sizes stories, so one team's forty points may be another's twenty. Comparing teams invites inflated estimates and gaming, which destroys the number's usefulness. I would use it, cautiously, to forecast the same team's next few Sprints, and look at outcomes, flow measures such as cycle time, quality and customer feedback when discussing performance. If leadership needs a cross-team view, normalised business outcomes are far fairer than points.
What the interviewer is assessing
Whether you know the limits of velocity and can redirect leaders to more meaningful measures.
A strong answer covers
- Say no: velocity depends on how each team sizes stories, so points are not comparable between teams.
- Explain that comparing teams encourages inflated estimates and gaming, which destroys the number's usefulness.
- Use velocity cautiously to forecast the same team's next few Sprints only.
- Discuss performance with outcomes, cycle time, quality and customer feedback, and normalised business outcomes for cross-team views.
Common mistakes
- Ranking teams by points delivered, which pushes them to inflate estimates.
- Treating a higher velocity as proof of better performance or more value.
Practise a follow-up
- What measures would you offer leadership instead of comparing velocity?
- How would you forecast a release when velocity is unstable?