idea
The output of a process is what it is building. It is a piece of software. The outcome is what the process is effectively accomplishing. It is the actual impact on the customer's life. The output is just a medium towards the outcome.
If your goal is delivering value to the customer, then what matters is outcome, rather than output. Success is determined by outcome.
Consequently the process should be steared through outcome. Set the organization based on outcome. Structure collaboration based on outcome. Architect based on outcome Decompose work based on outcome. Use metrics regarding the outcome. Take decisions based on metrics regarding the outcome. Prioritize based on impact to the outcome. Persevere or pivot based on outcome.
Environment need to be equipped to measure outcome. Features need to be decomposed enough to enable monitoring the impact while delivering the output. An economic framework needs to be built to prioritize based on outcome. And the process needs to be changed to celebrate not the shipping of feature, but the measured impact they had on their target.
That is, of course, if you want to deliver value.
links
agile is a way of focusing on outcome.
Small batches allow to iterate faster and gather feedback from the customer, maximizing the outcome.
references
John Cutler / 12 Signs You’re Working in a Feature Factoryref sounds oddly familiar
Sriram Narayan / Outcome oriented on how to structure team: oriented towards an outcome vs. oriented towards an activity - which is basically another way of presenting cross functional teams: as motivated towards a business outcome.