Key Metrics for Senior Engineers to Track Productivity
If you cannot track, you cannot improve
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When I was a mid-level engineer, I used to work hard, write code, fix bugs, and help others.
But even after months, I couldn’t clearly tell what had improved or how my work made the team better.
That’s when I was advised by my mentor to start tracking all things I do.
Not to measure hours or output, but to understand impact.
What I was doing well, what I was ignoring, and where I was wasting effort.
If you cannot track, you cannot improve
As a senior engineer, your job is not just to write good code but to improve the team, the system, and the process.
In this newsletter, I am sharing how I track my work every six months and how you can do it too.
1. Code Quality and Review Metrics
Code Review Speed
I track how long it takes to review pull requests.
My personal rule is to review everything assigned to me within 24-48 hours.
Delayed reviews block others from shipping and slow down the entire team.
Even a small habit, such as reviewing daily before stand-up or having a focused block to review code, can make a big difference.
How I implement:
Check assigned PRs every morning
If I can’t review fully, leave a note like “Will review tomorrow”
Make it part of my daily routine, not a random task
On days in which there are fewer meetings, I add focused meeting blocks to review
PR Size and Complexity
I note how big my PRs are and how many revisions they take before landing.
Smaller PRs get faster reviews and fewer bugs later.
How I implement:
I try for focused, smaller PRs with a single purpose
Don’t wait too long to merge; break big changes into parts
Keep a note if my PRs often cross 500 lines or multiple files
If your PRs are always large, it may mean you are over-scoping tasks or batching too many changes together.
Bugs After Release
Every time a bug or SEV is linked to my code, I write it down.
I don’t do it for blame, but to find patterns.
If the same type of issue appears frequently, it means something in my process needs to be fixed.
Maybe I skip certain tests or don’t validate enough edge cases.
How I implement:
Maintain a simple doc with “Date, Issue, Cause”
Review it once every two months
Don’t focus on the number of bugs; focus on patterns
2. Architectural and System Metrics
System Uptime and Stability
As a senior engineer, your design choices affect stability.
I keep a note of how often my systems break, how many SEVs were filed, and what caused them.
High stability means your architecture decisions are working.
Frequent failures mean something is weak.
How I implement:
Review incident reports every quarter
Note if the same components keep failing
Fix root causes, not just symptoms
Scalability and Performance
I track how my systems behave as traffic or usage grows.
This includes latency, throughput, and performance under stress.
Scalability is not about over-engineering. It’s about knowing your limits.
How I implement:
Run a small load test before major releases
Track latency or query performance after new features
If numbers degrade over time, plan a cleanup or optimization cycle