How to measure and improve success in your engineering team

Choosing the right metric is the first battle. The article argues that you must pick a single key performance indicator (KPI) for each project and treat it as the only priority. It walks through six rules: the KPI must be measurable, its direction obvious, reflect a value not an outcome, update at least daily, be under the team's control, and drive action instead of fear. By narrowing focus, you avoid the paradox of everything being important and nothing moving.

Once the KPI is set, the next step is to attach a concrete, time-bound goal. Goals turn the KPI into a deadline that forces execution. The piece shows examples - doubling weekly active users by year-end or raising sprint story-point completion by 30% next quarter - and warns against goals that are too easy or impossibly high. Stretch goals that scare the team are encouraged, but they should complement, not replace, the original target.

Visibility and ownership are emphasized. The author suggests publishing the KPI metric on a dashboard, pushing daily updates to Slack or email, and letting the team own the plan to reach the goal. Leaders should connect the KPI to the company's purpose, give the team autonomy, demand accountability, and celebrate successes while avoiding credit-stealing. The practical advice is grounded in real engineering scenarios like framework migrations or database replacements, showing how a disciplined KPI-goal system can keep projects from becoming wasted effort.

The final take-away is that measuring results, not effort, aligns incentives and drives real impact. By treating the KPI as a living metric, adjusting it when the business changes, and reinforcing it with stretch goals, engineering leaders can create a results-driven culture that moves the needle without burning out the team.