Developer Productivity Myth: Story Points = Productivity

Story points are a unit of measurement used to express estimates of overall work progress. Teams allocate story points based on work complexity, workload, risk, or uncertainty. If we consistently record story points and estimate the points achieved by each developer after each sprint, can we then deduce the productivity of each developer?

Story points sound similar to work hours; one is a relative unit and the other is an absolute unit. Ultimately, regardless of how productivity is measured, it must be converted into absolute objective indicators: What will be completed? What can be accomplished?

• Adaptation Curve: The entire thinking framework requires time to adapt and coordinate among members.
• Expectations Need Time to Calibrate: Story points are meaningless until enough comparative data is accumulated, and different people may have different understandings of story points.

Of course, we can reach a consensus on the value of points through discussions and run through the entire process a few times, but in situations where clear delivery dates are required, it still needs to be repeatedly converted into time for measurement, more like a framework for thinking about task complexity.

Can it effectively assess productivity? Perhaps it is a direction worth trying in teams with mutual trust and consensus.