Measure Value (not Scrum)

Scrum is not an end unto itself. It's a great tool for helping a team focus on value, but the goal isn’t to “do Scrum.” The goal is to maximize value for the customer.

That being said, Scrum really is a great tool. It's the best thing out there for helping teams to deliver complex products, because it's easy to use and has just enough - but not too much - structure to help the team collaborate and problem solve. When teams use Scrum well, they are able to deliver more value to the customer and to the organization.

But it's important to keep our eye on the prize (customer value).

Like a baseball team, we need to focus on developing our skills in using Scrum. Teams don’t win games simply by knowing the rules — they win by mastering the fundamentals: clear communication, coordination, trust, and execution under pressure.

In Scrum, our fundamentals are teamwork, collaboration, transparency, and continuous improvement. Are we working as a cohesive unit? Are we inspecting and adapting honestly? Are we improving how we deliver?

And just as baseball teams don’t practice to improve statistics but to win games, Scrum Teams don’t refine their process for the sake of “doing Scrum better.” We improve so we can deliver better outcomes.

The real measure isn’t % complete, velocity, or throughput - it’s whether customer satisfaction and impacts are improving.

What we measure shapes what we focus on. And what we focus on shapes how we behave. The metrics we use must reinforce value — not activity.

What should we measure instead?

Before we can choose meaningful metrics, we need clarity about our product and its direction. Who is our customer? What problem are we trying to solve? What is our Product Goal? Without that clarity, metrics are meaningless.

Metrics should never exist for their own sake - they should help us understand whether we are delivering value and moving toward our desired outcomes. Before choosing what to measure, it’s important to step back and ask a few critical questions that connect measurement to purpose, customers, and impact.

Here are five questions you can ask to help you find the right metrics for your product.

1. What are we trying to accomplish?

2. What is the outcome we are trying to achieve?

3. What is the Product Goal and how can we measure progress towards that?

4. Who is our customer, and why are they using our product?

5. What observable evidence would tell us we are delivering value?

Answering these questions first makes it far easier to select metrics that are meaningful, outcome-focused, and aligned with delivering real value.

Stop measuring activity. Start measuring value. Join us for Rebel Scrum’s Evidence-Based Management course.