When does a task's Cycle Time begin and end?

This tests your ability to connect agile metrics to concrete engineering workflows. A strong answer defines Cycle Time as starting when a developer pulls a ticket into an 'active work' state (e.g., 'In Progress') and ending when the work is potentially shippable (e.g., 'Merged' or 'Done'). Explain that this measures the team's direct effort. Crucially, contrast this with Lead Time, which tracks the full customer journey from request to delivery. A red flag is conflating the two or failing to link the definition to specific workflow states.