Help! My manager is asking me for KPIs ! by Geoffrey Graveaud

A conference talk transcript by an agile/DevOps consultant sharing 10 years of experience dealing with manager requests for KPIs. Using a Star Wars-themed narrative about a developer named Kevin, it covers three common problematic KPI scenarios: arbitrary code coverage targets, inflated velocity goals, and misapplied DORA metrics. The talk offers practical guidance: use DORA throughput metrics (lead time for change, deployment frequency) with concrete git-based measurement, run a workshop linking team practices to delivery performance using the Accelerate capability catalog, and collect anonymous team feedback via well-designed psychometric forms. The core lesson is that top-down KPIs need bottom-up evidence — reliable quantitative data plus mass qualitative data — to push back on unrealistic targets and drive real organizational change. KPI is reframed as 'Keep People Interested' rather than 'Key Performance Indicators'.