What is Cycle Time? | Flow Metrics Explained
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Video Description
Cycle time is how long stuff takes. Simple concept - but the start and end points really matter. Get them wrong and your metrics are meaningless.
This video explains cycle time, shows you where to draw the lines, and clarifies the difference between cycle time and lead time (they're not the same thing).
What you'll learn:
- Cycle time = In Progress to Done
- Why start and end points matter
- Lead time vs cycle time (customer view vs team view)
- How cycle time relates to throughput
- Which metric to use for forecasting
Key insight: Lead time tells you how long customers wait. Cycle time tells you how long your team takes. Different questions, different metrics.
Works with Azure DevOps and GitHub.
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Tags
#FlowMetrics #CycleTime #LeadTime #Agile #Kanban #ProjectManagement #AzureDevOps #GitHub
0:00 What is Cycle Time? 0:10 Cycle Time = How Long Stuff Takes 0:25 Start Point and End Point 1:10 What About Lead Time? 1:17 Lead Time vs. Cycle Time 1:56 Why This Matters 2:16 Honest Cheetah 2:26 Thanks for Watching
Video Info
- Duration: 2:31
- Published: January 23, 2026
