The general idea is that successful product teams should focus more on outcomes (the results that their work achieves) rather than output (the features they produce or tasks they complete). This shift in focus can lead to more effective product decisions and greater value provided to users. Product discovery is a key part of this process, involving ongoing collaboration with customers to understand their needs and iterate on solutions.
Output:
Output refers to the tangible products or services produced. In this case, an output could be the launch of a new feature in an app, like the ability to filter products by color in an online shopping app.
Outcome:
Outcome, on the other hand, refers to the actual result or impact that is achieved through the output. Using the same example, the outcome would be an increase in user satisfaction because they can now easily find products in their favorite color, or an increase in sales due to the improved user experience.
So, in summary, output is about what you produce or deliver (like a new app feature), while outcome is about the change or benefit that results from what you’ve produced (like increased sales or improved user satisfaction).