What Is Sprint Velocity? | Vantage
Sprint Velocity Sprint velocity is the average number of story points (or other estimation units) that a team completes in a sprint. It is calculated by averaging the completed points across the last 3-5 sprints. Velocity is a planning tool, not a performance metric.
Why sprint velocity matters
Velocity helps teams plan realistic sprints. If your team's average velocity is 30 points, planning a 50-point sprint sets the team up for failure. Velocity makes sprint planning data-driven instead of aspirational.
How it works
At the end of each sprint, count the completed story points. Average the last 3-5 sprints to get velocity. Use this number as the capacity ceiling for your next sprint. Plan to 70-80% of velocity to account for unplanned work.
Common mistakes
Using velocity as a performance metric (comparing teams or pushing for higher numbers)
Changing estimation scales mid-quarter (invalidates velocity data)
Not accounting for team composition changes
Planning at 100% of velocity (no buffer for unplanned work)
Comparing velocity across different teams
Related terms
How Vantage relates
Vantage generates dependency-aware tickets with effort estimates from PRD requirements. When these tickets are pushed to Linear or Jira, they contribute to your velocity tracking. The estimates are consistent because they are generated from structured requirements rather than ad-hoc guesses.